A Dragon and a Phoenix
by RiverRushing
Summary: What do you do when you've lost all control? The enemy of my enemy is truly my friend, and maybe more than that. Can they uncover the truth in time to save themselves? Or will Kim find that her salvation might not prove all it's cracked up to be as she discovers the man behind the facade? (Rated T for some violence. Please note that all HP characters are the property of JKR)
1. Chapter 1

"**KIMBERLY MARIE DANIELS! **You've got ten minutes to be down here or you're going to miss the train!" my mother screamed at me.

I rolled my eyes and called one of the houselves to take my trunk downstairs. My cat, Bast, wove her way around my ankles and meowed loudly looking up at me.

"I know we're late Bast, you don't have to give me that look," I said to the midnight colored feline. "**I'M COMING MOTHER!**" I shouted as I walked down out my door.

This will be my last year at Hogwarts. I'm glad to finally be completing my magical education. This means that I can do what I want instead of following all of those ridiculous school rules. Just in case you were wondering I'm in Slytherin. Yes, I know, boos and hisses from the lot of you. Well that's your opinion. I don't need or want your approval either way.

I scooped up the disapproving feline and bolted down the stairs. Grabbing my mother's arm tightly, as she grumbled about my tardiness under her breath, I prepared myself for the inevitable, momentary discomfort of apparition. As we appeared on the platform I released my tight grip on my mother's arm thinking of how glad I would be when I could apparate on my own in a couple of weeks. As I turned to say good-bye to Mother, Father appeared, looking rather hassled, with my trunk.

"Be careful this year Kim. There's danger everywhere now, but at least the school affords a bit more protection than anywhere else. We'll be here to pick you up for the Christmas holidays. And don't forget to write," said my mother. She had a worried look on her face and I know that she had been against letting me go back to school this year after what happened at the end of last term. Although we're a pureblood family with a tendency to end up in Slytherin, we're not exactly zealots like the Death Eaters. Our family has a talent for looking after itself. In the dark days, there were a couple of cousins that joined them, but they didn't survive. The fact that I'm a pureblood has always been a point of pride, and it's certainly made our lives easier in recent months.

"We'll miss you. Don't get caught if you decide to stir up trouble this year," my father warned with an amused look on his face.

I'm known as a bit of a troublemaker. I generally don't get caught, but one of my bigger schemes got me into a tight spot at the start of term last year. I managed to talk my way out of severe punishment, but Snape kept a rather close eye on me after that. Although I don't suppose I'll be bothered with him this year.

With one last hug I grabbed my trunk and Bast and headed for the train. I finally found an empty compartment and proceeded to make myself comfortable. A few minutes later Kat and Sara come bursting through the door, and squealing with excitement, we all hugged and began telling each other about our summers. Nothing too interesting happened to any of us this summer considering the reappearance of You-Know-Who. We had all spent most of our time checking the Daily Prophet for the names of anyone we knew.

With a rather blank stare I said, "I read that McGonagall will be the new headmistress and someone named Analise Nightshade is to be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

"I read about that too. It's going to be so strange not to have Dumbledore there," replied Sara.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," said Kat.

As silence filled the compartment an unpleasantly familiar voice said, "Missing poor Dumbledore, are we?"

Anger suddenly flashed in me and I stood up with my wand pointing at Malfoy.

"They didn't send you to Azkaban, Malfoy? I thought that they would have surely given you a cell next to your father's. I think you should leave before I do something you'll regret," I spat at him.

He stood there with a sneer on his face. He had taken on a rather haunted appearance. His skin was, if possible, paler than normal and there were faint circles under his eyes.

"Don't you dare speak of my father. And if it's any of your business, the Ministry thinks that all that _horrible dark magic _was forced on me. They believe that I should be sent back to Hogwarts," he replied in a deadly whisper.

"Don't take that tone with me Malfoy. I'm not afraid of you or your goons," I said, nodding in the direction of Crabbe and Goyle. "They haven't got the intelligence to use a hex between the two of them."

Malfoy looked at me with contempt in his eyes. He turned and muttered something to Crabbe and Goyle and they lumbered off down the corridor cracking their knuckles menacingly.

_*She's the only bloody girl in Slytherin that never gives me the respect I'm due. They always do whatever I want. She's different. She'll be my greatest conquest at Hogwarts. I might as well have some fun while I suffer this last year of school. Victory will be all the sweeter when she begs for forgiveness for refusing me at first.*  
_  
"You will beg for me to forgive these transgressions one of these days. You'll show me a lot more respect before it's over with Daniels," he said.

Laughing derisively, I replied, "I was wise enough to avoid you and your kind in first year Malfoy, and I've only gotten smarter since then. What exactly makes you think that I'll be foolish enough to ingratiate myself to you now? I have higher standards for acquaintances than a cocky, self-absorbed, pureblood with a superiority complex. I may be in Slytherin, but unlike the rest of your brainless fan club I don't worship the ground you walk on."

With that I sent a nonverbal spell at him, pushing him into the empty corridor. With another lazy flick of my wand I closed the compartment door and force the shade to unfurl over the window.

I stood there looking at her with a sneer. Then with a look of pure loathing she pointed her wand at me. The force of the spell hit me in the chest and knocked me down. I looked up to see the door closing and the shade covering the window.*_Oh, she's going to pay for that one. She'd better be glad that no one was out here to see that or I would have had to curse her. God my arse hurts now_.*

As I sat back down Sara and Kat managed to wipe the looks of utter surprise off of their faces and start going on about how proud they were of me for telling him off. I just laughed and told them that he had it coming, which was completely true.

By the time we finished discussing what a horrible little ferret Malfoy was it was time to change into our robes.

A low mist hung heavy over the village of Hogsmeade. In the faint light the shadow of the castle could be seen in the distance.

As we arrived and made our way to the carriages we saw that several of the shops had been boarded up. There were signs posted by the Ministry everywhere. It seemed as though we'd be stuck within the confines of the castle grounds this year.

"I wonder what this year's going to be like?" I mused as we sat in the carriage.

"Well I'm sure that we can all agree that it's going to be a stressful one. From what I've heard from seventh years in the past it's always been really difficult what with N.E.W.T.s and everything, but with how everything else is it's going to be even worse," said Sara.

"You know they're going to be a lot stricter with the rules, too. I just want to get through this year without any major incidents," replied Kat.

"I'm guessing that means that you guys want me to ease up on finding trouble?" I questioned. I already knew what the answer would be, but I was hoping to lighten the conversation a bit. I was beginning to feel like I was in a room with the walls closing in around me. Just knowing that everything that I had ever known would never be the same again made me feel terrible.

"Yes. That definitely means that we want you to cut out that particular proclivity. We know that you have a certain disregard for rules, but this year it's just too dangerous," said Kat with an anxious look at me.

"I know, I know," I replied. Noticing the skeptical look on Kat's face I said, "I swear, no trouble out of me this year. I'm with you guys. I just want to get out of here in one piece."

By this time we had arrived at the castle and were ascending the steps. Entering the Great Hall, we headed for the Slytherin table and took our usual seats near to the middle. Things proceeded as always, the only differences, aside from the new staff members, being that Professor McGonagall was sitting where Dumbledore once had and Professor Flitwick lead the first years in to be sorted. The hat's new song was much as it had been for the past couple of years. It spoke of how we should all pull together because that was the only way we could pull through the difficult times ahead. Most of the Slytherins and Gryffindors gave each other looks of hatred at this, but some of them merely looked indifferent. Kat, Sara, and I had already talked about all of this. We weren't bothered by the fact that everyone was divided into separate houses. We had friends throughout the school. There were some Slytherins and Gryffindors that didn't follow the stereotype of hating each other. We weren't given much thought. Everyone would much rather play up to the ones that did. That of course meant that people thought that all of us were like that. Oh, well there's not really much we could do about it.

Sara elbowed me in the side and I was abruptly brought out of my thoughts. All of the new students had been sorted and McGonagall was standing to make the start of term speech.

"Many unfortunate events have occurred since we were last here. Our numbers are less than they have ever been, but it has been decided that as long as the students are willing to come then we will remain here to teach. Your magical learning is now more than ever a priority to us. First years should note that the Forbidden Forest is strictly off limits. The rest of you would do well to remember this also. All post is being searched so it may take longer for you to receive packages. New security measures have been put into place and no student is to be in the corridors after hours under any circumstances unless accompanied by a professor. Be vigilant. Although the castle is a safe place, be mindful of your fellow students. Now," she said with a small, sad smile, "I think it is time that we enjoy the feast."

With that, the tables were suddenly laden with food, and everyone was piling their plates with roast lamb and potatoes.

I sat staring grim-faced at my plate not feeling very hungry anymore.

"Kim? Are you alright?" asked Sara.

"Huh?" I asked, startled. "Oh, yeah I'm fine...just thinking."

I decided to eat before she could question me further. I wasn't really in the mood for conversation, which for me was highly unusual.

Just as I was reaching for a piece of chicken there was a commotion beside me and the boy sitting next to me was shoved roughly out of the way. He was replaced by the last person I wanted to see. Malfoy sank down into the now empty place with a sneer on his face and anger in his cold gray eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

"Hello Daniels. Thought you could get away with that little stunt on the train, did you? Well, you'll regret what you did to me," Malfoy murmured maliciously.

I turned to him with a passive expression and leaned towards him until there was merely an inch of space between our noses.

"It looks like I already got away with it Malfoy. I've already told you, you don't frighten me. Oh, and by the way, intimidation is not one of the top ten ways to get a girl. You might want to rethink your tactics, not that it's going to give you a snowball's chance in Hell with me," I replied echoing his tone.

Having said all that I wanted to him I turned back to my food. He remained there looking at me as though he were trying to find some hidden meaning in what I had said.

Sara looked up and realized that he was still sitting there, "I think Kim's through telling you off, Malfoy. Maybe you should leave now."

He cut a scowling glance at her as he got up and headed back to his seat with Crabbe and Goyle. As he passed even a few of the Slytherins gave him looks of fear. Some of them however looked at him with awe in their ignorant eyes.

After we finished with pudding and were dismissed we made our way to our dormitories.

Once we were back in the common room we proceeded over to our favorite spot in front of the fire. As we settled down and started talking the rest of the Slytherins were finally making their way in. Some of them sat to talk with their friends, but most of them headed to their dormitories.

"Ugh, can you believe the nerve of that slimy git?!" exclaimed Sara. "I hope he's not going to be hanging around harassing you all term," she said, staring pointedly at me.

With a sigh I replied, "You and me both, Sara. I don't think I can deal with him for too long without pushing him off of the Astronomy tower. This is ridiculous. He brought it on himself anyway. He's only mad because I wouldn't go to the Yule ball with him back in fourth year."

With a snort of laughter Kat said, "You could date almost any guy that you wanted. Why would you want to waste your time with him?"

"Now you're just exaggerating. I could not have my pick of the lot of them," I laughed, rolling my eyes. 

Kat looked at me with a bit of surprise and said, "You really don't think that you could? You don't see the way they look at you when you walk by. You're too modest to admit it."

Startled by this I looked over to Sara for help, but she merely sat nodding her head mutely. I was completely baffled. I knew that I wasn't exactly gravel on the eyes, and I was pretty, but I never thought that I had anything as far as uncommon beauty.

"Well, even if you're right, it doesn't matter because I'm not like him. I'm not going to use my looks and status to get everything I want. He's nothing but a prick and a manwhore," I said.

"Well, we know you're not like him. We wouldn't be friends with you if you were," said Sara with a laugh.

"Okay, I'm going to change the subject to something less disgusting now. What on earth am I going to do with my hair in the morning?!" I said with a serious expression before laughing.

After talking about the more mundane aspects of our lives for a while, we all went upstairs to get some sleep.

The next morning I woke up and groggily I rolled out of the bed and went to get a bath. After relaxing in the hot water for longer than I should have, I threw on my robes and grabbed my wand. On my way back to my vanity to put some makeup on I grabbed my wand and muttered a quick drying spell for my hair. After applying a light amount of makeup I darted out the door and down the stairs to find Kat and Sara already waiting on me by the portrait hole.

Kat rolled her eyes and said, "Do you always have to wait until the last minute?"

I smiled and replied, "You know it. I wouldn't want to confuse you two by being early for anything."

We headed down to breakfast in our typical rush, largely caused by my persistent tardiness. When we got to the Great Hall we sat down and grabbed some toast and bacon.

With a thoughtful look Kat said aloud, "I wonder what we'll have first."

Just as she said it a squeaky voice behind me said, "Miss Daniels."

I turned around to find Professor Flitwick brandishing a schedule at me. I thanked him and turned around to read it as the others received theirs too. I looked at the others with a groan.

With a grimace I said, "Potions. It wasn't my favorite subject. I'd had a rather unpleasant experience in my first year. I had misread the instructions and accidentally created something that melted through the bottom of my cauldron and the table. When Snape had tried to use the vanishing spell the puddle doubled in size and he angrily dismissed class, but not before giving me detention. With a sigh we all headed toward the dungeon classroom. 

When we entered, we found that the seats had been spaced out and there were only two people at a table rather than the traditional three.

Professor Slughorn smiled at the class and announced, "The potions that we will be starting today require quite a few ingredients. You'll need the extra room."

Telling Sara and Kat to sit together, I took a seat behind them. I began unpacking everything and looked up to see Blaise walking toward me with a smile. I had always gotten along pretty well with Blaise. But halfway over to sit with me the smile faded and he abruptly stopped and sat at another table. I was a bit confused by his behavior and I turned to find Malfoy standing on the other side of me.

My voice dripping with disdain, I asked, "What in the hell do you think you're doing Malfoy? Clear off. You're in my space."

With an evil smirk he replied, "Well, now Daniels any girl would love to be in your shoes. You're going to be sitting next to me."

"Then why don't you go and sit by one of the other girls? They'll appreciate your presence. I'll just be sick." I could feel the familiar burn of anger rising within me. Why did he have to make things so difficult?

"There don't seem to be any other seats left," he said as he sat down with finality.

I groaned inwardly but resolved to ignore him. Kat and Sara looked back at me and I rolled my eyes as if to say 'what can I do?'

I was carefully following the instructions at the front of the class when I felt a hand creeping from my knee up my thigh.

Without looking at him I said in a lethal undertone, " Malfoy, if you don't remove your hand from my leg I will curse it off of your arm."

Something in the tone of my voice gave him pause and the advancing hand stopped. His eyes narrowed to slits and he growled, "You wouldn't dare. You know, Daniels, the only reason why I've graced you with my attention is because you're the only one here that's half as good looking as I am. I like having the best, things that others can only envy. But I'm beginning to wonder why I waste my time with you."

I looked over at him with flames of anger dancing in my eyes and said, "The only reason that I intrigue you so much is because I'm the only one that has ever turned you down. You like proving that you're either good looking enough, rich enough, or fearsome enough to force others into bowing to your will. You just can't stand that none of those things work with me and it's eating you up inside. Deal with it. I'm sure you'll have no trouble finding some ignorant tramp willing to hang on your every word, but I'm not her."

I got up and stormed out of the classroom. Anger continued to burn in my eyes and the door flew open before I got to it, and slammed behind me with the ring of finality. It had been awhile since I'd lost control, but at this point I didn't care. I wasn't even trying to control it. I raced down the corridor and once I was out of the dungeons I stopped and released a scream of frustration, the waves of anger shattering the window nearest me. Then as quickly as it came, it was gone. I sank down onto the floor and gave a sigh of relief.

"I can't believe I let him get to me like that. I haven't been that angry in a loooong time. I promised myself that I wouldn't let it happen anymore," I mumbled. Then I looked up at the window and realized what I'd done. I reached inside my robes for my wand and repaired the window. 


	3. Chapter 3

By the time that I'd managed to pull myself together Potions was over. I saw Kat and Sara hurrying toward me.

"What on earth happened to you?!" they exclaimed.

With a sigh I replied, "He started trying to feel me up. I got really angry and couldn't control it, so I left. Trust me; you know that it's a lot safer that I left than if I'd stayed."

Exasperatedly Kat said, "We know that, but Professor Slughorn was completely confused. Maybe you should go and talk to him."

"You're right, and I will. But I'd really like to go and eat something first. I'm feeling a little on the lightheaded side now. I'll go to his office after lunch," I told them.

So after lunch I went to Professor Slughorn's office and explained everything to him. I apologized for leaving his class the way I did. He was lenient considering that it had never happened before and just made me promise not to let it happen again.

I left his office and finished up my classes for the day. Nothing too interesting happened after that. Things actually managed to go on quietly until that night.

I went back to the dormitories and had relaxed for a bit before grabbing my books and heading down to the common room to finish up some homework. I had a few inches left to go on a couple of essays and some charms work to do, so I settled into my favorite place on the couch in front of the fire. It was a bit late and most of the other Slytherins had gone to bed, Kat and Sara included. I wasn't bothered by the solitude. Quite the contrary, it was a nice change from the upset of this morning. 

As I worked I became lost in concentration. I thought I heard someone coming down the stairs, but I ignored it; there were a couple of people still wandering around. I finished up one essay and leaned over the edge of the couch to find my other books in my bag when I saw someone's feet in front of me. I slowly raised my head, my gaze traveling up as I prayed that it wasn't who I expected it to be.

Malfoy stood leering down at me and I suddenly cursed myself mentally for not grabbing a robe, or at least a blanket. His stare made me uncomfortably aware of the fact that I was only wearing a tank top with my shorts.

Standing up and giving him a glare I asked, "What do you want, Malfoy? Didn't I make myself clear to you earlier today? What part do you need me to repeat?"

"I'm actually quite clever and there's nothing wrong with my memory so I don't need you to repeat anything. I just want to know what's wrong with you. Why aren't you after my attentions like every other girl in Slytherin? Do you like girls or something?" he asked.

I tilted my head to the side a bit, trying to figure out if he was serious. When I realized that he was I burst out laughing and said, "You really are a self-centered prick. I'm not a lesbian just because I don't want to shag you. I just prefer guys that can see past the ends of their own noses. Now that you know, sod off so I can finish my homework in peace."

Still chuckling I turned around to pick up my quill and parchment so I could sit back down, but before I managed to reach it Malfoy grabbed my arm from behind. He spun me around and pressed his lips against mine. It all happened so quickly that I was momentarily in shock, but it only took a few seconds for my brain to catch up with what happened. When I realized what was going on I kissed him back and rested my palms against his chest.

I could feel him smirk against my lips, thinking that he'd finally gotten what he wanted.

Just as he did this I pushed him away from me and caught him with a right hook. I'd hit him squarely on the cheekbone.

Still moving off of the force of the swing I spun around and grabbed my wand before turning back to Malfoy. I gave a flick of my wrist and he was hanging upside down in midair.

With the back of my free hand I wiped his kiss away and then walked over to him with a look of disgust. His face was hanging at eye level, and I noticed with a feeling of satisfaction that there was already a bruise forming around his left eye. As I approached him he snapped out of his mild state of shock and began shouting obscenities at me.

I merely laughed and said, "Now, now Malfoy, you're going to wake everyone with all of that shouting. Wouldn't want the whole house to come rushing in and find you like this, would you?"

With a look of pure venomous hatred he growled, "Put me down. Now."

"I don't really think you're in the position to be making demands," I said reasonably. "But I suppose I could put you down, as all of the blood appears to have made its way to your head."

With that I released him from the spell and he landed in a heap on the floor. By the time he managed to pick himself up I had already sat back down on the couch.

"You'll regret that," he spat, as he lightly pressed his cheek and winced.

I returned his gaze and replied, "I hope you're not going to continue to waste your time pursuing me. If you intend on waiting out my resistance to your charm then I'm afraid you'd better start looking for a spell to cure carpal tunnel while you're at it. Oh, and that's at least the second time that you've told me that Malfoy, and I have yet to feel remorse for anything I've done. So if you don't mind I'll just skip the meaningless threats and go to bed now."

I gathered up all of my things and left him standing, seething with anger, in the middle of the common room.

At the foot of the stairs I turned back and said, "By the way, I hope you enjoyed your little taste of honey, because if you ever try it again I'll remove your cause for desire of feminine contact."

When I was about halfway up the stairs I heard the shattering of a lamp as it crashed into the fireplace. I shook my head as I opened the door and sighed as I fell into my bed and a deep soothing sleep.

The next evening I sat in the common room thinking about all that had happened. There had to be some way to keep Malfoy away from me. I didn't want to end up spending all of my bloody time in detention because of him, and if things kept going the way they were then that's exactly what was going to happen. There was no way that I was going to let him ruin my final year at Hogwarts. This year was supposed to be the best, but there's no chance of that considering the state of the wizarding world. So much security that a little bit of mischievous fun was impossible. Ah, but my thoughts wander from the problem at hand. Maybe I should just avoid him as much as possible and he'll take the hint, not that I haven't made it clear that he hasn't got a damned chance... 

"Kim, there you are. We've been looking all over the place for you. It's not like you to stay in the common room doing nothing. What's going on now?" Kat inquired.  
Sara gave me one withering look, "Look, we all know he's the biggest arse here, but there's no getting rid of him short of murdering him and I don't think the little jerk's worth going to Azkaban over. It's time you just drop it and act like he isn't there. He'll move on to the newest piece of arm candy when he finally works out that you aren't just playing hard to get. You're letting him get to you. It's what he wants, to wear you down."

"You're right, Sara. I'm not going to let him get the better of me. I'm tired of his arrogance. The next time he attempts anything I'll just hex him and maybe that will teach him not to bother me. There are several curses that would look great on him," I said viciously.

There was no denying that I'd love to teach him a lesson. He deserved everything he got. I refuse to believe for a second that he didn't intend to be the one to murder Dumbledore. Malfoy is a disgusting minion of You-Know-Who and I want nothing to do with him. 

"I'm going to bed now. Tomorrow's the first Hogsmeade trip of the year. I can't believe they're actually letting us go. I want to make the most of it." I got up from the worn leather chair and headed to the girls' dormitories.

Trudging towards the stairs I was lost in thought when I heard a familiar drawling voice whispering from the shadows. "Well, well, I would have thought that you'd be doing something more productive than going to sleep. Figuring out how you should apologize to me seems like a good place to start." 

With a cold glare in his direction I pulled my wand out before he had a chance to react. Placing him under the full body bind I smiled and walked over to him. "You shouldn't hide in the shadows Malfoy. Oh dear, it will be a while before anyone finds you here, won't it? Now I suggest that you listen very closely when I say that it would be wise if you kept you distance from me. I promise that should you try anything with me again, you'll wake up next year in St. Mungo's." With that I kissed my fingertips and waved good bye. "Have a good night Malfoy." Walking up the stairs, I found that I had a considerable amount of bounce in my step. The knowledge that he would be trapped there for an exceptionally long time made me very happy. To hell with the consequences, this felt worth the risk.


	4. Chapter 4

I changed and flopped into bed, extinguishing the candles with a lazy flick of my wand I rolled over and into a dreamless sleep. The next morning I woke to the sounds of laughter coming from the common room. It sounded like only a few people, but they were undoubtedly enjoying a very humorous joke. Curiosity overcame the desire for a few more minutes of sleep, so I got out of bed and dressed quickly. As I reached the bottom of the stairs I was greeted by the livid face of Malfoy.

"You will regret that, Kimmy darling."

"Actually I quite think that it was one of my finer moments. It was a stroke of brilliance. I doubt that you could make me regret it. You see, I thought about it this morning. If you think it was humiliating to be found by what sounded like only a few people in the common room then what would it be like for everyone to know that you were left there by a girl. Especially considering that you've made some of your little scenes with me public enough for them to know that I'm one of the few girls that shun your attentions and obvious efforts. So maybe you should think twice before you make it known that I was the one who left you there. Perhaps everyone will just assume that you were caught by a badly aimed jinx." And with a smile I left him standing there looking as if someone had dropped a cauldron on his head.

I reached the portrait hole to find Sara and Kat in a fit of giggles. With eyes streaming from laughter Kat grabbed my arm to steady herself and said, "Oh my gosh Kim, did you hear what happened to your stalker?! A fourth year found him this morning in the dark in the corridor by the stairs, and he was in a full body bind!"

Not laughing quite as hard as Kat, Sara asked, "I wonder who did it to him? Maybe it was an accident, but what on earth was he doing in the dark by the stairs?"

I chuckled and replied, "I'm the one that jinxed him. He was waiting for me there last night. He thought that he could intimidate me. Maybe he's learned his lesson. How did they find him this morning?"

"Someone threw a Fanged Frisbee and it landed nearby. He was absolutely furious when they released him. But of course everyone was laughing at him and you know how big his ego is," supplied Kat.

"Well he stopped me on my way to meet you two. He seemed to think that he was going to make me regret it, but I pointed out that by doing so he would be admitting to everyone that he was bested by a girl. I don't think it's something that I have to worry about," I grinned.

We headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast in high spirits. After we ate we lined up in the entrance hall, waiting on our turn to go through the ridiculous ritual check of Filch. He sneered at us as we walked past and headed down to the village. Due to new security measures there were Aurors waiting to escort us in small groups to Hogsmeade. A few teachers were also accompanying us.

We pulled our cloaks tighter about us to block the chill winds. When we reached the village people started off in various directions, everyone heading toward their favorite shops. We went in several places in search of new dress robes. I finally found some that suited me. Laden with packages and bags of sweets we made our way to the Three Broomsticks for a butterbeer before going back to the castle.

Once inside we lowered our hoods and removed our scarves. "You guys go and get us a table and I'll get our drinks," I said.

Nodding their agreement, Kat and Sara turned in search of a suitable place to sit. I went to the bar and paid for our butterbeer. While waiting for my change I felt an odd tingle shoot from head to toe. Then I turned to find myself under the scrutiny of a set of silver-gray eyes. Placing a hand on the small of my back he pushed me none to gently toward the door.

"What in bloody hell do you think you're doing? I'm not leaving with you. Don't make me curse you in front of all these people. I thought I made it clear that I wanted nothing to do with you, you foul loathsome pig."

There was a glimmer of malice in his eyes as he pressed the tip of his wand to my side through his cloak. "I would watch what I say if I were you. You're not the one in control of things this time. You're not to say anything or not only will you suffer, so will your friends." Giving him a look of pure hatred I allowed myself to be steered outside and into the deserted, cramped ally between two shops.

"What do you want?" I asked, my voice dripping with venom.

Without a word he forced my shoulders roughly against the wall and his lips came crashing down on mine. I stood in disbelieving shock. My brain just couldn't wrap around what was happening. While I was trying desperately to gather my senses and decide on an action his free hand moved up to cradle my head. He wound his fingers through my hair as the tip of his tongue passed over my lips, demanding entry.

Without thinking about what was going on I responded. With both hands resting against his chest I returned his kiss. Pouring some of my anger and pent up emotions into it until I finally realized what was happening. I opened my eyes and pushed him away.

"What the bloody hell was that all about?! How many times and in how many languages do I have to tell you to leave me alone?" I was furious, mostly at myself for being foolish enough to let something like that happen. I was also angry at him for kissing me in the first place. It was taking a conscious effort to keep the power of my fury under control. He kept a straight face, but I knew from the flicker of fear in his cool silver eyes that he could see the smoldering flames in the depths of mine. He had, of course, never seen anything of the sort. (My great-great many times great grandmother was a veela. This particular trait had evolved from her in my mother's side of the family.)

_I've been waiting for this. I'll teach her to humiliate me in front of everyone. Kimberly Daniels will show some respect for her superiors before it's over with. I'll have her begging for mercy. After following her for the better part of the day in Hogsmeade she wasn't surrounded by her two little friends. Slowly I crept up behind her and directed her to the door. _

"_What in bloody hell do you think you're doing? I'm not leaving with you. Don't make me curse you in front of all these people. I thought I made it clear that I wanted nothing to do with you, you foul loathsome pig." _

_That one is going to cost her. Pressing my wand to her side I whispered, "I would watch what I say if I were you. You're not the one in control of things this time. You're not to say anything of not only will you suffer, so will your friends." Pushing her into the ally I started to raise my wand, but the fearless look she gave me was disturbing. She should be terrified. I could kill her and no one would know that I had done it. Damn, I want her to be terrified. She'll show a little more respect and appreciate the attention I give her if she's scared of me…wow she's got great lips. I bet she's a good kisser. I heard some of the other guys talking about her…..NO I'm supposed to be teaching her a lesson…Oh hell…_

_Without giving it a thought I pressed her against the wall and kissed her. And she's kissing me…damn they were right. What the hell am I doing?!_

_She pushed me away and started yelling. Wait, what did she say? What happened to my plan? I'm Draco bloody Malfoy. She's the one that's supposed to throw herself at me not the other way around. AHHH! I've got to get control of this situation before she ruins my reputation!_

I turned and walked quickly back the way we'd come and back into the Three Broomsticks. Still trying to process what had just happened, I collected the waiting butterbeers and went to find Sara and Kat.

Giving me a curious look Kat asked, "What took you so long? I'm glad we weren't dying of thirst."

"Sorry guys. I nipped into the bathroom before getting the drinks and well, you know how I am about my hair."

They nodded in agreement and accepted my pitiful excuse without further question. While we sat and talked we wondered if there would be anything special at Halloween this year. There was discussion of new hairstyles and the students that hadn't returned. Of course we talked about the latest headlines in the Daily Prophet, and expressed aloud our hopes for the safety of our own families. When all of the usual topics of conversation were exhausted we pulled our cloaks back on, gathered our things and headed back to the castle.

For the most part I was lost in my thoughts. I came out of a daze when we reached the entrance hall. We had to submit all of our parcels for searching before we were allowed back inside. Once we passed inspection we went back to the Slytherin common room. Telling the others that I wanted to go and put my things up I made a hasty escape to the girls' dormitories.


	5. Chapter 5

I collapsed on my bed and tried to sort through my thoughts. There was no denying the effects of that kiss. I was at a complete loss. Knowing that my body had willingly responded to Malfoy, and that I had allowed him to kiss me for more than the time that it should have taken to push him away made me sick. I was notorious for choosing all of the wrong guys. All of the gentlemanly types were just too boring for me. I had always chosen the wilder ones, but this was ridiculous. Not even if hell were to freeze over would I choose Draco Malfoy. I had always known where to draw the line and Death Eaters were definitely across that Line. I enjoyed a walk on the wild side every now and then, but torture, destruction, and murder were not on my agenda. There had to be some way to get this out of my head.

Quickly putting my purchases away I dashed back down the stairs and over to my friends.

"We're going to cause a bit of mayhem. We've done nothing fun since we've been back. I can't take this anymore I need the excitement. Get up. Let's go."

Recognizing the determined gleam in my eyes they gave a sigh and got out of their chairs to follow me. Once outside the portrait and on our way down the corridor Kat broke the silence. "What exactly are we about to do and how much trouble is it going to get us into if we get caught?"

"We're not going to get caught so don't worry about that, but we're going to 'borrow' some of the nifflers from the Care of Magical Creatures class and set them loose in the boys' dormitories. Then we're going to charm the last of my dung bomb stores to hover over the door and go off on the first person that walks in there. It'll take them days to get the smell out. After that bit of fun I thought we'd charm some of the larger statues and busts in the corridors to sneeze copious amounts of very green mucus onto passersby."

Halfway through my plans they stopped walking and stood staring at me in open mouthed horror. "How on earth do you expect us to manage all of that without being caught?"

"Easy. I'm going to Disillusion us before we start. No one will see us and no one will miss us because most everyone else is wandering around too. It is the weekend after all."

Knowing that they had lost the battle they gave up and allowed me to Disillusion them. Once I had placed the charm on myself we exited the castle and went across the grounds to Hagrid's. Beside his back door we found the crates that the nifflers were in and took three of them back to the castle with us.

Back in the common room with no evidence of the Disillusionment charm, we sat in our favorite corner in our favorite chairs and indulged in a good laugh. They had started out scared of being caught but now Kat and Sara admitted that it had been the most fun that we'd had in a while. We were gleefully awaiting angry yells from the boys' dormitories. We'd stood in the corridor near one particularly good sneezing statue for ten minutes waiting on someone to walk past it. A sixth year Hufflepuff looked like he'd crawled out of a swamp. It was all we could do to keep our giggles silent until he had gone, cursing whoever had done it under his breath.

While reliving this moment in fits of laughter we heard it. Yells and the sounds of things being thrown were accompanied by a rather foul odor wafting down the stairs. Before everyone else had managed to get out of their seats were running toward the staircase. Taking the steps two at a time we reached the top just in time to see Blaise Zabini covered in the remnants of dung bombs and the whole room in shambles. Pretty boy Blaise didn't look happy. It looked as though he had been the first to open the door, but he wasn't the only one that had been on their way in. Malfoy and his two cronies were standing in the middle of the room staring at the mess. The nifflers had done their jobs well.

Everyone that could see inside the room was laughing. Even the people that were too far back to see had been told what was going on. Not to mention the fact that if you couldn't see what was going on you could certainly smell part of it. The boys, however, did not find it humorous, especially Zabini. I had really hoped that Malfoy would be the one to open the door, but you can't always get what you want. It was enough that most of his things were strewn in the mix with everyone else's.

Eying me with a cold fury that plainly said I was in for trouble, Malfoy yelled that everyone who wanted to maintain their limbs to vacate. Seeing what a rage he was in, all of the other students fled to the common room or their own dormitories to talk about what they'd witnessed. As we turned to follow everyone else out a vice like grip seized my arm.

"Where in bloody hell do you think you're going? Everyone else get out!" Blaise gave a snort of disgust and mumbled something about a shower. With worried glances in my direction Kat and Sara were ushered out by the boys and I was left alone with him.

Feeling the familiar glowering stare of anger directed at me, I swung around and punched him in the stomach. He immediately released my arm and doubled over in pain. While he was preoccupied I grabbed my wand and made a dive for the door. Unfortunately he was quick on the uptake and caught me off guard with a leg locker curse. I fell to the ground but wasted no time performing the counter curse. Flashes of light streaked the room as we fought furiously throwing spells without care to the damage we were inflicting. Then we found ourselves arms length apart, each with the other's wand tip in our faces.

"Why start a duel with me Malfoy? Are you looking for someone to put you in the hospital wing? I thought I'd already told you that no means no and I want you to leave me alone. What makes you think that I want to have anything to do with the likes of you?"

"Well Kimberly I should think that you cared more for your little friends than that. You are concerned with what happens to them, aren't you? You know that I could have anything done to them if I wanted. You have it in your power to insure their safety. How would you like them to come to harm knowing that you could have prevented it? Don't you think that it would be the end of that particular friendship?"

And in that moment I knew that I had come to the end of the road. There was no denying that he was ruthless enough to devise such a plan, and also no denying that he was cruel enough to go through with it. He knew that I was one of the few Slytherins that would sacrifice my own well being to protect those near and dear to me.

With a sigh I lowered my wand. He was blackmailing me. "You always want what you can't have. So maybe once you've been with me for a week or so you'll move on. I can only hope that someone else will strike your interest. Although I have to admit I almost wouldn't wish this on any female no matter how much I despise her. But then again there are a few and I wouldn't mind unloading you on."

"That's not a good way to start off your apology, Kimmy. You should show me a little more respect or I might think that I you don't like me. Then I'm afraid I'd be angry and awful things happen when I'm angry. So how about we start with the basics? As my new girlfriend you'll of course have to start with begging for my forgiveness. After all, you've been quite rude to me lately. I think I prefer a more submissive attitude from you. You'll definitely have give up on pursuits of other guys, and then there's the amount of time that you spend with other people in general. I think it's best if you devote most of your time to me. After all, I have been gracious enough to offer you a chance despite the atrocious manner in which you've conducted yourself up to now."

In a state of mortified shock I said, "I don't know where you got the impression that you could order people around in such a manner with total disregard for their choices but you've lost what small amount of intelligence that anyone ever gave you credit for if you think you're going to get away with this. Everyone knows the level of contempt I have for you and no one will believe that I actually wanted to become your girlfriend."

With an evil smirk he replied, "Well then I suppose you had better make it a convincing performance, because if anyone starts to ask too many questions mysterious accidents might happen to those you proclaim to care for."

And with that horrible thought left to plague me he started to leave. "Just one more thing before I go."


	6. Chapter 6

Catching me by surprise he leaned down and kissed me, only this time with much more force than he had in Hogsmeade. Then he lifted his head mere inches from mine, looked me in the eye with a cold gaze and said, "You'll meet me at the bottom of the stairs in one hour to go down to the Great Hall."

With a faint rustling of his robes he was gone, and my whole world had a new and bleak direction. This could not be good. I know what a hunted animal feels like now. I rose with a fatalistic determination to get through this disgusting ordeal with at least my dignity intact.

I went back to the girls' dorms to find Kat and Sara deep in discussion. As soon as they heard the click of the door closing again they fell silent and looked at me with worried expressions.

Kat was the first to recover from the silence. "He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"You really think that he could?" I asked.

"It's not that we think that you can't take care of yourself. It's just that we know he's not known for playing fair," Sara put in quickly.

I gave them a reassuring smile before taking a deep breath and starting the show. "It's not what you guys think. Things didn't even go that way. Actually things went in quite the opposite direction. I won't go into detail with everything, but let's just say that I've changed my mind about a few things."

_I can't let them know what's really going on or they'll run straight to the nearest teacher. There's no way I'm going to let them get hurt. It would be my word against his, not that it's really worth anything anymore. But still there's no telling the amount of trouble he could cause for them; not when you consider the type of people that are actually in charge of the world these days._

They gave me confused looks as if to say, 'I think he's put her under the Imperious Curse'.

"I'm fine. He didn't do anything to me. So if you're both through looking at me as if I've sprouted another head then I'm going to take a shower before we go down to dinner."

Leaving them in ignorance of what really happened I grabbed my things and went to get my shower. Once in the bathroom I locked the door behind me and sank to the floor. This wasn't going to be easy. My friends aren't stupid and they're going to know something's up. They're also going to be hurt that I'm not going to be spending much time with them.

Getting up from the floor I took a quick shower, dressed, and applied some make-up. When I walked out Kat and Sara were waiting on me.

"You guys should go on without me. I'll be down in a few minutes."

They both gave me a strange look and a thin smile before leaving. Sighing I made a final check in the mirror and found that I looked much the same as always, but for the shadow hovering in the depths of my eyes.

At the foot of the stairs I found Malfoy waiting for me. Leaning casually on the stairs looking up at me with a smirk he said, "Well, well, it looks as though I may have taught you a bit of obedience."

My face expressionless, I replied, "You know as well as I do that the only reason I'm putting up with you is because you're threatening the well being of my best mates. Please don't push your luck with me. I'd hate to lose control."

"You'll do as I say for as long as I want you to do so. Now, I think it's time we made our grand appearance in the Great Hall, don't you?"

I followed him out the portrait hole and up the corridor leading to the Great Hall. This was going to be interesting. There were a couple of guys that I had been flirting with and considering as boyfriends for a while now, but this was going to destroy all prospects of a fun relationship. Then there were the jealous females. Ugh, they can have him that's for sure.

At the doorway he brought me out of my thoughts abruptly. "Smile Kim. Remember, convincing performance."

With a sigh I put on my best fake smile and tried to pretend attraction instead of revulsion.

While lying in my bed I tried to remember how I had made it through everything. The only thing that was clear was the feeling of detachment. It was sort of like being on auto pilot. I just had to keep reminding myself what was on the line.

* * *

The weeks have flown by. For the most part I've been here, but strangely not here. It's like my body is moving out of habit. All of the conversations I've had with friends and the agonizing moments spent with Malfoy have all been like a dream. I'm beginning to feel trapped in my own mind. It's sort of like watching my life from a distance. I know my friends suspect something. They can tell that my smiles are fake and my laughter is hollow. There's no denying that something isn't right when they've known me for so many years. I'm running out of ideas to keep them from figuring everything out. I've plead study stress for so long that it's starting to wear thin.

With a sad sigh I sat up on my bed and looked toward the door. The quiet knocking was incessant.

"Come in."

Sara walked in and looked at me with an assessing gaze. "What is really wrong with you? You haven't been yourself for more than a month now. Ever since you and Draco started dating you've looked as though a dementor stole your soul. You haven't been eating, you haven't been sleeping, and you haven't been acting like the real you. It's like someone else has taken over your body. I know you too well to think he could force you into dating him under normal circumstances, but I'm starting to wonder if something didn't happen. Kat and I have been worried about you, and it's time you tell us what's really going on here."

Standing up, I walked over to Sara. "I really am fine. You know that there's no way that he could get the better of me. I just finally realized that all of my animosity toward him was just me fighting the natural attraction. You know things have been hectic lately. I promise everything is going to get better."

She gave me a worried glance before releasing a defeated sigh. "I suppose you're right. After all, who knows you better than you know yourself?"

_Apparently Malfoy knows me better._ I thought to myself with a shudder.

This weekend is Halloween. I'm so glad that we won't have any classes on Friday. They're letting us go to Hogsmeade. Half of the professors are going with us, but at least we'll be out of the castle for a while. That seems like a wonderful reprieve, but only for everyone else. I'm going to be stuck with Draco all day. He's barely let me out of his sight since we've been "together". I've become so detached. I don't even know what's going on anymore. I still hang out with Kat and Sara, but they know that something's different with me. I wish that I could tell them what it was. I thought that by now he would have grown tired of me. Instead he seems to be getting some sick pleasure from forcing me to go about my life like some living doll bent to his will. My misery feeds his amusement. His joy at this is heightened by the fact that he has all of the control.

All I have to do is make it through the rest of the week. I'll find some way to make this weekend better even if I have to make myself sick to get away from him. I found a rather useful potion the other day that will do just the trick. A few days in the hospital wing should be relaxing.

I finally got out of bed to get ready for class. Walking to the bathroom I passed by the mirror and noticed the wraith-like appearance that stared back at me. I need to get control of this situation. I have to get myself back. Putting on some make-up and changing clothes, I readied myself for the day. As I reached the bottom of the stairs I found Draco waiting for me as usual

"I'm going to go to breakfast with Kat and Sara today," I stated with a steady glare at him. I was daring him to tell me that I couldn't.

He looked me over with a calculating stare, seeming mildly amused at my demand, and then replied with a shrug, "Whatever. I have other things to take care of this morning. You'd just be in the way. But I expect to see you after class."

It was a compromise. I'll have to take what I can get at this point. "Fine I'll see you then." I started to walk away but turned back to ask, "What exactly do you have to take care of this morning?"

"Things that you shouldn't worry your pretty little head over. Oh, and speaking of your pretty little head, you need to be getting ready for the Halloween feast. We're having a ball this year. It's a formal affair. You'll be needing a suitable dress. If you don't already have one then you'll have to find something in Hogsmeade."

Ignoring the snide remark I replied, "Of course. I'll see what I have with me and if there's nothing I want to wear then I'll buy something. I'll see you after class."

With that I turned and walked away, leaving him to his mysterious business. I found Kat and Sara in the common room. They were just about to leave when I called out to them. With surprised looks they stopped to wait for me. When I got to the portrait hole Sara was the first to speak. "You're not going to breakfast with Malfoy?"

"I wanted to go with you guys. Besides he has something else to do this morning. I know that I haven't been able to spend as much time with the two of you lately, but I'm about to change all of that. I miss the both of you."

Kat gave me a wary gaze. "We miss you too, but what's changing now that makes a difference? How do we know that you'll be around more often? You've been so stuck to Malfoy that we've barely seen you. And you look so thin. What has he done to you?"

"He hasn't done anything. I've just had a lot on my mind lately I know that it doesn't seem like anything is changing, but it's about to. I'm not going to be spending as much time with him."

Sara glanced at Kat and then gave me a hug. "Well, it's good to see you back with us. Let's go get some breakfast and talk about the Halloween ball. I want to know what you plan on wearing," she answered, unknowingly echoing Malfoy's earlier comment.

I smiled at her and nodded in agreement. We made our way to the Great Hall and sat in our usual places. I grabbed a couple of pieces of toast and some bacon and searched for something to talk about. Things were still a little uncomfortable considering my long absence from their company, but I knew that all of that would smooth out eventually.


	7. Chapter 7

"So what's been going on with the two of you?" I asked.

"Well, Sara's been seeing Kevin Rawlings a lot here lately. She says there's nothing going on between them, that they're just studying for potions. I think that's a load of hippogriff droppings, but she refuses to change for her story," Kat said with a knowing look at Sara.

"I've told you a thousand times or more that it's really not like that! We're just friends. I think he even has a girlfriend, and it's definitely not me. Besides I'm not even interested in him like that."

I smiled and laughed at the two of them. Some things never change. "So who is your love interest if it's not him?" I queried.

A slight blush crept into her cheeks, and she suddenly seemed very intrigued by her toast and jam. "Well, he's not in Slytherin. Actually I think that's why I like him so much. He's not a complete git." And then with a wide-eyed, apologetic expression she looked at me and said, "I'm so sorry Kim, I didn't mean it like that. I'm sure Malfoy can be nice."

I smiled and shook my head, "There's no need to apologize. We all know that just about every guy in Slytherin is a great slimy git. There's no point in trying to pretend they're not. As a matter of fact, I think that's probably why most of them are in our House."

Sara smiled with relief and looked at Kat. "I told you that it wouldn't matter that he was in Gryffindor."

"So what's his name?" I asked.

"Michael Richards. He's really nice, and he doesn't even mind that I'm in Slytherin. Of course some of his friends are a bit wary of me. It's really difficult to have an inter-house relationship. It's complicated even more by the fact that we're in the two houses that hate each other the most. So we're just trying to keep things quiet for now. It's hard to get to know someone better when everyone else is constantly butting in to ridicule you."

"Well that sounds really good. At least he understands that not all of us are obsessed with pure blood and the Dark Arts," I replied.

Once we had finished eating breakfast we made our way to class. I was lost in thought and didn't notice Draco when I walked past him lurking in a shadowed alcove of the corridor. Still talking with Kat and Sara, I only stopped when I felt someone grab my arm. Not realizing what was going on I had my wand in my hand before he had turned me around to face him. Kat and Sara had stopped a few steps away and turned back to see what was going on.

"Going to curse me?" he asked, with an overconfident smirk on his face.

"It would be nice if you'd get my attention without sneaking up on me for once," I replied.

He laughed quietly and pulled me closer to him. "I like sneaking up on you."

"We have to get to class. I don't want to be late for Charms. Are you coming?"

"I'll see you in class. There's something I need to do before then."

"Fine," I said. "But I'm not covering for you if you're not there on time."

"You won't need to," he remarked.

He released my arm and I turned back to Kat and Sara. Without a word I set off down the corridor, now lost in thought.

"What was all about? Why was he hiding there?" asked Sara.

"He just likes to see if he can catch me by surprise. It's nothing."

We made it to class with plenty of time to spare. We sat near to the back of class and continued our conversation until Professor Flitwick cleared his throat and claimed the attention of the class. Just as he was about to start teaching Draco slipped in and took the empty seat to my right. Kat shot him a suspicious look, but didn't say anything.

After charms we went to potions. I didn't really feel up to the task of talking to Draco so I walked between Sara and Kat. Although it didn't seem to matter since he had fallen a few paces behind us and was absorbed in conversation with Crabbe and Goyle.

When arrived in the dungeon classroom Professor Slughorn was awaiting the class to take their seats and quiet down. The three of us took seats in the rear of the classroom so we could talk. Draco once again sat with me and I realized that he insisted on sitting with me so I couldn't speak freely with Kat and Sara. He wanted to make sure that I didn't' tell them what was really going on.

"You know, I'm not going to say anything to them. You've made sure of that. I can't tell them without endangering their lives. So you can go back to your goons. I don't think they know how to function without you pulling the strings," I muttered to him.

"They'll be fine. And I'm well aware of the fact that you won't be telling them anything. However, I quite enjoy watching you squirm. You seem to be disturbed by my presence when you're with them. I find that it amuses me," he replied with a sickening, evil smirk.

"I loathe you. You're a despicable, disgusting excuse for a human." I turned my attention back to the lesson and attempted to complete the potion that had been assigned. I somehow managed to get through the class. I even produced a passable potion.

* * *

Everyone else was going to lunch, but I went back to the common room. I couldn't face another moment of faking. Everything was not okay. I'm not sure how I'm going to get through this, but I'd better start figuring out something quick. As I sat on the couch by the fire, staring into the flames someone else entered the room. I didn't notice the sound of footsteps or someone standing behind me.

"Kim?"

I turned around quickly with my wand ready, but relaxed when I realized that it wasn't Draco. "Oh, sorry, just a little jumpy today I suppose." I looked at him with mild puzzlement. I couldn't remember his name, but I knew he was in the same year as me.

"That's okay. What are you doing here alone? I never see you without a crowd of people around you."

"Everyone needs some peace and quiet now and then. I just needed a break I guess. Why aren't you in the Great Hall, Blake?" I remembered that was his name. I'd only talked to him a few times before. He was very cute though. Had it not been for my present situation with Draco I would have probably turned on the charm and flirted with him.

"I forgot my Transfiguration book," he said while sitting down next to me.

"Oh." I looked back to the fire and wished that he would leave. I really didn't want Malfoy to walk in and find us talking.

"So what's going on? You seem really upset," he said as he put his hand on mine.

I looked back at him and couldn't help myself. I started crying. Even people who were practically strangers knew something was wrong with me. Thankfully the common room was unusually deserted. I didn't even consider the consequences before spilling my troubles. "Everything is wrong and if I tell anyone what's really going on then horrible things will happen. I can't figure out how to get out of this ridiculous situation and I hate it. I'm not really one to be cornered. I know that sounds so stupid, but I'm just tired of the stress."

He looked a bit startled at the sudden flood of information, but took it in stride. He gently pulled me close and let me cry on his shoulder. When the tears finally subsided he dried my eyes. "Feel better?" he asked with a half smile.

I laughed briefly at the absurdity of the situation and nodded. "Yes, thank you."

Blake was looking at me with an inscrutable expression. Then without warning he leaned in and kissed me. It was a gentle kiss, and I was so shocked that I didn't have time to react before he stopped. His face was inches from mine and he said, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have…"

But I didn't let him finish the sentence. Without really thinking about what I was doing I kissed him.

Neither of us heard the sound of the portrait opening or the voices entering the common room. It had been uncommonly deserted up to now. But when the footsteps stopped abruptly we both heard the enraged shout that followed.

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

We pulled away as if each others' lips were poisonous. "Nothing's going on," I replied as calmly as possible. "I'll see you later Blake. Would you please tell Professor McGonagall that I went to the hospital wing. I'm not feeling well."


	8. Chapter 8

With a confused glance from Malfoy to me he nodded slightly and said, "Uh, sure I'll tell her for you." With that he grabbed his books and walked past Draco without so much as a glance at him on his way out the portrait hole. Crabbe and Goyle had disappeared ahead of him, clearly sensing that they're presence wasn't welcome.

No sooner than he was out of the room had Draco crossed the distance between us in few quick strides. He backed me up against the wall and held me there. "How dare you. I will not be made a laughingstock. No girl of mine will embarrass me like that. How dare you think to let another touch what belongs to me," he said in a dangerous whisper.

With a passive expression firmly in place I replied, "Relax Draco he didn't even know that I'm trapped in this ridiculous relationship with you. It was my fault, so don't even worry about going after him. I couldn't help enjoying a moment of real affection. I'd forgotten how much fun it was to have freedom to go after any guy I wanted. So I took the opportunity as it presented itself. I don't doubt that you'll make sure the possibility of a repeat isn't available. Now, if you'd be so kind as to let me go I need to see Madam Pomfrey for the migraine you've given me." I knew I was playing with fire, but if I could make sure that he was so angry at me that he forgot about Blake I didn't care. I would suffer the consequences. I felt bad about what I had said about Blake only being an opportunity. I knew that was a lie. He was really nice and I couldn't deny the weak in the knees feeling that his kiss gave me. And not the sort of dangerous thrill that came from Draco. I'd find him later and apologize.

With a look of pure rage he hit me. As my head snapped to the side with the force of the blow I caught a glimpse of his hand as he reached for his wand. Before I had a chance to counter his attack or even move I heard the spell.

"_Crucio!_"

It felt as if my very bones were on fire. It was all I could do to keep from screaming. I refused to give him the satisfaction. After what felt like an eternity he raised his wand and looked down at me. "Get up. We have another class to go to. You will be there. You will make sure that no one even thinks anything is wrong." He sat down in a chair as if nothing had happened. "You should go upstairs and make yourself presentable. You look like a wreck."

With an effort I picked myself up off the floor and lifted my chin in defiance. I turned on my heel, picked up my things and walked to the portrait hole. I went straight to my last class for the day. It was the one class that I didn't have with Draco. Arithmancy had become my safe haven from him. I sat down in my usual seat and straightened my hair up a bit.

After class was over I went out onto the grounds. I wandered out far away from the castle. Knowing that I wasn't supposed to be out that far alone didn't stop me. I didn't want to be anywhere that I could be found by Draco. Still aching from the Cruciatus curse I sat down on a large boulder and began to weigh my options. If I told anyone what was really going on then there was no doubt that Malfoy would harm my friends before anything could be done to stop him. But if I didn't there was little hope that I would survive the remainder of the year. As I sat in misery and hopelessness someone approached.

"What are you doing out here?"

I turned to find Blake looking at me in bewilderment. "I don't know. I just left the castle and started walking. I wanted to be able to think. What are _you_ doing out here?"

He sat down next to me and replied, "I come out here a lot to do the same. It's quiet out here."

I turned to look at him. "I'm really sorry about what happened earlier. I shouldn't have done that."

"So I take it you and Malfoy are dating?"

"Yes and no. It's a very complicated situation that I can't seem to get out of no matter how hard I try. And believe me I've tried, but I'm not the only one concerned.

"Well, why don't you try to explain things to me? Maybe I can help."

"I don't want to drag you into the situation too. It's a dangerous game I'm in and I don't want to be responsible for so many others. This is just so unfair. Although, when dealing with Draco, I don't expect anything less than unfair and dangerous."

"Look at me Kim," he said as he gently tilted my head up so that I was looking directly into his eyes. "I'm not afraid of the little git. You don't have to worry. It's not like I'm going to go and tell everyone what's going on. And I won't go to the professors either. That's not my place. That's up to you. So just tell me what's going on. I want to help you."

I could see the sincerity in his eyes. I wanted to tell him what was going on, but I didn't want to risk his safety too. But it's just so difficult to deal with something like this alone. It all came out in a rush and in less than five minutes I had summarized the happenings of the last few months. Eyes glistening with tears when I finished, "And at the risk of my friends' lives I can't tell anyone in a position to do anything about it what's going on. I'm trapped like a caged animal, and now I've put you at risk too, just because I'm too weak to deal with this alone."

I sat looking down at my knees. There was a brief moment of silence and the Blake gently lifted my head so I was looking straight into his eyes. He wiped away a fallen tear as it streaked down my cheek and said, "You're not weak. As a matter of fact, you're probably the strongest person I know. We'll figure something out, but in the meantime you'll need to avoid him as much as possible. Spend time with Kat and Sara. Surround yourself with people as much as possible. There's no way he's going to hurt you with a crowd of witnesses. He'll go straight to Azkaban for it after all the things he was involved in. I'm still trying to figure out how he managed to weasel his way out of it in the first place."

"I don't think any of us will ever really know exactly how he did that. But I do know that it's a relief to have someone who knows what's going on. Thank you," I said.

He smiled, stood up and offered his hand to help me up. I took it gratefully. I was now extremely achy from my earlier torture. As soon as I was standing properly he wrapped his arms around me and gave me a gentle hug. He obviously knew that I was sore all over.

After a moment he took a step back and looked back at the castle. "I suppose we'd better get back. It's almost time for dinner. I'll wait around so he won't see us walk in together."

"You don't have to worry about it. I'm not really hungry. I think I'm just going to go back to the dormitories and try to get some sleep. He nodded and said, "Alright then. I'll just see you tomorrow. Don't worry I'll make sure to catch you when Malfoy and his pets aren't around."

All the way back to the common room I felt strangely happy. It was a nice change. I suddenly realized what it was a relief it was to have the help of someone else. I passed the tide of students on their way to the Great Hall. Everyone else seemed so carefree. "Before the holidays…that will be me again," I mumbled to myself.

Once back in the common room I made use of the peace and quiet. I went straight to the girls' dormitories and grabbed my things. There was no one to disturb me so I took a relaxing bath. It was great to be able to let everything go and just enjoy the moment. When I finally got out I could hear the distant sounds of people returning from dinner. Reluctantly, I got out and got dressed. Drying my hair with a simple spell as I walked to my bed I noticed a note on my pillow.

I was dreading the worst when I realized that the note was on top of a plate of sandwiches. There's no way Malfoy would be considerate enough to care that I didn't eat anything. I picked up the note and saw that it was from Blake. Smiling, I read it.

"_I know you said that you weren't really hungry, but I thought these would be welcomed in case you changed your mind. I know it's not a gourmet meal, but hey it's the thought that counts, right?"_

He knew me too well for someone that didn't really know me at all. I was starved. The day had taken a lot out of me. I sat down with a sandwich and my Arithmancy book and tried to finish up my homework. Just as I reached for a second sandwich the door opened. Kat walked in and saw me. I smiled as she walked over and sat down.


	9. Chapter 9

"Hey, I thought you'd already be asleep. You didn't come down for supper," she said.

"Well, I was just really tired so I came up here and had a nice long bath instead."

"I see you had someone bring you something anyway. Did Malfoy actually turn into a decent human being?" she asked as she reached for the note that I had left lying on the table. I tried to get it before she could but it was too late. She had already seen the name on it and was looking at me with a mixture of excitement and surprise.

"Oooh! Isn't he the really cute guy that usually sits in the back of our potions class? He doesn't usually say much. So what's going on with the two of you? Are you going to ditch Malfoy for him? You guys would make such a cute couple!"

Laughing, I held up my hands in mock surrender. "Are you going to ask all twenty questions at once or are you going to let me catch up?"

Kat laughed at her own exuberance. "Yes you can catch up, but there are so many other questions that I want to ask!"

"Okay, to answer your first questions. Yes, He's the really cute one that sits in the back of potions. No he doesn't really say a lot usually. Nothing's going on with us. We're just friends. I'm not ditching anyone. I'm glad you think we'd make a cute couple, but seeing as how I have a boyfriend that's totally irrelevant. Now you can ask more questions if you want."

"But this is one of those thoughtful little things that guys do for girls they like! You know I'm right. And besides, you'd be way better off with him than Malfoy. You know he's a git. I still don't understand why you're dating him."

"Okay. It is one of those thoughtful little things that most guys do for girls they like, but it's also something that a friend would do for you. And I know you guys don't understand why I'm dating Malfoy, I just am. But it would be better if he didn't know that I'm friends with Blake. I doubt very seriously that he would like the idea of me spending time with another guy even if he was my long lost twin brother," I said.

"Of course I won't say anything, but how do you expect to keep it from him? I mean, won't you guys be hanging out together? Or does he know about Malfoy?" she queried.

"He knows the situation. And he understands. He won't say anything. Besides, Draco has been distracted lately. He won't notice if I'm not always with him. I'll have more time to spend with you and Sara too."

We continued our discussion late into the night with Sara eventually joining us. It was great to get some form of normalcy back. I was overcome with a feeling of relaxation that I hadn't experienced in a long time. It was like I knew that things would all of a sudden turn right. Something told me that it was because Blake was there now. My practical side said that was ridiculous, but I couldn't shake the feeling.

* * *

The next moment when I woke up I got up and got dressed as usual. I went down to the common room. It was still early so I didn't have to worry about anyone else bothering me. I sat down and wrote a hurried note to Blake. Once finished, I went up to the boys' dormitories as quietly as possible. When I opened the door I could see that everyone was still asleep. I crept over to Blake and slipped the note into his hand and started to leave. But before I could get to the door a mischievous inspiration overcame me. So of course, I went with it. I walked over to Draco's bed and jumped on top of him. He woke with a yell as I laughed.

"What the bloody hell are you doing?!" he yelled.

"Waking you up, love. What does it look like I'm doing?" I asked with a smile.

He looked at me like I had lost my mind. Granted, I felt like I had, but it was worth it to hear him yell like a banshee.

"Well since you've decided to be my wake-up call, are you at least going to get your arse off of me so I can get dressed?" he asked.

"Of course I'll let you get dressed. Are you going to breakfast with me or with your goons?" I asked, motioning to Crabbe and Goyle who had woken at Draco's yelling. The rest of the boys were getting up too with some grumbling at the manner of their waking and others muttering about breakfast.

"I suppose I'll go with you if that's what you want," he replied with a confused look in his eyes.

"Alright, I'll meet you in the common room then, "I said, with a smile.

I caught the look Blake flashed me as I walked by and with a sly smile I shook my head slightly so that he would understand that I would explain things later.

Grabbing my books, I sat down on the couch by the fire. This was going to be interesting.

Sara and Kat came down the stairs and saw me. They sat down to chat, and we were in the middle of talking about charms when Draco walked up. I stood up and they followed suit. "Everyone ready to go?" I asked, looking around at the group.

"Sure. I'm starved," answered Kat.

Draco merely gave a curt nod and turned toward the portrait hole. I grabbed his hand and kissed him on the cheek as we walked out. Since we were a few steps ahead of my friends he looked at me and said, "I don't know what you're doing but I'm no fool. I'm keeping an eye on you."

Coolly, I returned his stare and replied, "What makes you think I'm doing anything wrong? Maybe I've just realized that I've been fighting like hell against a natural attraction to you, and now I'm just going to give in and let you have what you want. I know you like me or you wouldn't have gone through the trouble to get me. You can say that it was all to make me publicly eat my words and to humiliate me with the control, but we both know it's more than that. So why don't you just enjoy having a willing girlfriend instead of one that wants nothing more than to see your head on a platter? I've just decided that I _want_ you to keep your eyes on me."

Although there was some hesitation in his expression, he nodded his approval with a ghost of his usual smirk. Together, we made the rest of the trip to the Great Hall in silence. Kat and Sara were talking about Sara's new romantic interest and trying to decide how to find more time for her to spend with him.

After breakfast it was business as usual as far as classes were concerned but everything else was completely different. I made sure to glue myself to Draco. I didn't act like Pansy and simper over everything he did, but I simply made sure that my presence was known. He seemed to enjoy the attention and reciprocated it in full. It wasn't quite sure if he was being sincere or if he was just playing along in hopes of calling my bluff.

Okay, so it's finally Friday. It's been a long week of performing. I'm so glad that I'm a good actress. All of that practice as the leading female in most of the school plays has paid off.

As I was getting out of bed to get ready for a fun filled day of shopping in Hogsmeade, I realized that I had a piece of parchment in my hand. I unfolded it to find another note from Blake.

_I still don't fully understand this plan of yours, but maybe it will make more sense when you can explain it to me better. If you can find a chance to get away from him, meet me in the Three Broomsticks at one o'clock. Hope to see you there_.

I smiled and put the note away. It shouldn't be a problem getting away from Draco. He had already hinted that he wouldn't be spending the whole day with me anyway. This, of course, suited me just fine. Now I really had something to look forward to. Blake and I had been passing notes in this manner all week. It was easier for me to get one to him since I could go into his dormitory, but somehow he'd been managing. I had the sneaking suspicion that he'd been using a house elf.

At the bottom of the stairs I found Draco waiting on me. He didn't look thrilled that Kat and Sara were with me, but didn't say anything about it.

"I've decided that I want a new dress for the Halloween feast," I said with a smile.

"Well I suppose we can get that first. We only have a couple of hours, though. I have something else that I have to see to at noon. Then I'll meet you at the castle at three," he replied.

I knew better than to even bother asking what it was that he had to do that was so important. There was no way he was going to tell me. So I contented myself with the fact that I wouldn't have to worry about trying to shake him off so I could go and meet Blake at one o'clock. I looped my arm around his and said, "Alright. That will give me plenty of time to get changed for the feast.

We went to one of our favorite shops, and Kat, Sara and I immediately dove into the dresses. There were so many that I liked that I spent an hour and a half trying them on until I had found the perfect one. The dress was emerald green with silver trimming. It was a backless halter dress made of silk that draped like a second skin over ever curve of my body. I knew it was the right one when I walked out of the dressing room.

"What do all of you think?" I asked. Two gasps from Sara and Kat told me that it had their approval, but most importantly Draco was speechless. That was a sure sign that every male in the room would think the same thing tonight. He was only ever truly interested in the most attractive girls and from the looks of his expression he was very interested in me.

I purchased the dress and Sara bought new shoes. Kat wanted to look at another place for jewelry to match the dress she'd brought with her. So we left and started down the street in search of the perfect accessories.

Before I had gone two steps Draco grabbed my hand and pulled me around to face him.

"I've got somewhere to be. You finish up here and I'll meet you back at the castle," he said.

"Alright we'll see you later then," I replied before kissing him lightly and turning to rejoin my friends.

I noticed with some pleasure that he seemed wrong footed by the kiss and it amused me.

He seemed wholly unaccustomed to such gestures of affection.


	10. Chapter 10

I walked down the street with Kat and Sara and managed to make conversation through the entire process of shopping for something suitable to match Kat's dress. However, as soon as the opportunity presented itself I made my escape.

"I really think we should just try the smaller store. I know they don't have as much of a selection but they have such nice things and I think it'll be just the place to find the right thing," Kat said to Sara.

Just as she was agreeing I broke in, "You two go ahead and check out the last shop. I'm going to go and grab something to drink in the Three Broomsticks. I just need a break. My feet are killing me from all of this shopping. I'll meet the two of you back at the school in a bit. Okay?"

"Of course; we'll see you back at the castle. To tell you the truth my feet are tired too. But I know that Kat will never rest until she finds the perfect whatever she's looking for so I'll stay and help her with that," replied Sara.

With that I was on my way to the Three Broomsticks to meet up with Blake. When I entered I found it just as noisy and crowded with Hogwarts students as ever it was on any other Hogsmeade weekend. I looked around for a minute before I spotted Blake at the very back of the room in a shadowed corner. He had managed to acquire a table that was positioned behind some potted plants. I made my way over to the table and smiled at him as he stood up to give me a hug. I took the other chair and he passed me the butterbeer that he had waiting on me.

I took it smiling and said, "Very confident I was coming then?"

He laughed and replied, "I just hoped you wouldn't be able to stay away. How did you manage getting away from everyone? I was doubtful that they'd let you out of their sight."

"I have my ways. They just sometimes forget how sneaky I can be," I answered. "So is there any particular reason that you were so keen to get me to meet you here or were you just craving my charming company?" I queried with a smile.

He put on a mock look of deep thought before he finally retorted, "I just wanted to see you smiling and having some fun before I have to spend the night watching you look miserable when Malfoy's not looking. You put on a good act for him though, I will give you that. I just don't see how he can think that blackmailing you is going to make you like him."

On the verge of replying with a scathing comment about the minds of dark wizards I realized what he had just said. "What makes you think that's what's going on?"

With a small sigh he looked up at me and said, "Come on Kim. That's the only reason I can work out that he'd even try pulling all of this off. He's an evil little cockroach and you're a really great girl. You're not the type that I would have thought that he'd have gone after. I mean, muggle torture and violent murders don't really seem to be on your list of interests. Although, you are one of the few females our age that's a pure blood and not already in his family tree, so maybe his parents have 'chosen' you for him or something. I doubt he knows how to go about getting you to date him any other way when from what you tell me you've always avoided him."

I was too stunned to react for a moment. I hadn't considered the possibility that he was doing anything more than making me suffer the most entertaining way he knew how for the humiliation I put him through. This had been much worse than a few rounds with the Cruciatus curse, but to even think that he was considering something more permanent was unbearable. It was true; however, our families had somehow managed not to marry into each other, at least not in the last couple of centuries. And one could bet on the fact that his parents would be expecting him to marry a pure blood witch. Surely he wasn't considering me for the job. I'd always made it very clear that I wasn't interested in him. I knew his family's reputation. My family may be pure bloods but we'd always remained neutral when it came to the war.

"Surely that's not what is on his mind. I've just humiliated him in front of his peers one too many times. This is his way of making me suffer for it without breaking any rules or laws," I said.

Blake snorted, "Maybe he is just trying to get even, but you'd be naïve not to consider the possibility. After all, you come from a very respectable family. But there's always a loophole. We'll get you out of this. I'm here for you Kim."

I smiled at him. He was very charming. It's good to have friends like him. "Well, let's just hope you're not right about your theory. I think I would have to disappear before I let that happen. But I think I may have figured out a way to make him change his mind about being with me. Part of the appeal is the chase. I obviously don't want him so it makes it more of a challenge for him to get me to change my mind. But maybe if I pretend that I've made a complete turn around and get really clingy then he'll be the one running away. You know what they say; you always want what you can't have. So I'll just have to make it more than he bargained for having me around."

Blake considered this for a minute then smiled and replied, "You know, you just might have something there. I had this girlfriend once that took me weeks to get her to go out with me in the first place, but after a couple of months together she was just everywhere. I thought I was going to suffocate under all of the attention so I ended it. You should try it and see how that works out."

"Well then, it seems like I finally have a plan." I said. Then as I reached for my drink I noticed my watch and the time. I realized that I should already be on my way back to the castle. I jumped up saying, "Oh, no! I'm late I've got to run before someone starts wondering what's taking me so long. Thank you for helping me out. I'll see you tonight." Blake nodded in agreement that he would see me tonight and I made my way to the door.

* * *

Once I finally managed to make it back to the dormitory I rushed to get a shower before I changed. I gave a little wave of my wand to dry my hair then I curled it perfectly, leaving my long bangs swept to the side. Then, adding a subtle layer of makeup I finished off the look. I stepped back to observe my work in the mirror. "Perfect."

When Kat and Sara looked up and saw me they both squealed with excitement. "You look excellent! You're going to be the most beautiful girl there!" gushed Kat. I smiled at them both and thanked them for their compliments and suggested that we move on to the common room. "Draco is probably already waiting impatiently on me," I said.

As we reached the bottom of the stairs Draco, who had been facing the opposite direction talking with Blaise, turned to see what the other boy was suddenly staring at. As his eyes fell on me he stopped what he had been saying and walked slowly toward me.

He came to a halt mere inches from me and whispered, "Kim, you look amazing."

I was left speechless at what seemed to be a genuine compliment. This was something that just didn't happen when it came to Draco Malfoy. What on earth could he be up to now?!

I took his proffered hand and walked to the portrait hole with Sara, Kat, and Draco's cronies in tow. It was a most interesting trip to the Great Hall. He actually talked to me. Not just the normal 'you-will-obey-me-or-suffer-the-consequences' chatter, but normal conversation, almost like you would have with a friend. For a brief moment I almost forgot who I was with.


	11. Chapter 11

The Great Hall looked magnificent as usual, but instead of the house tables there was a dance floor with many smaller tables lining it. They were each covered with a black table cloth and in the center there were carved pumpkins. When everyone was seated at a table the food appeared as always and everyone eagerly began to eat. Our table was much more relaxed than I would have ever imagined that it could be considering the people that were seated there weren't normally very companionable.

Kat, Sara and I normally didn't associate ourselves with Blaise, Crabbe, and Goyle. They weren't on the top of our social list. Blaise was very conceited and Crabbe and Goyle could hardly complete a sentence between the two of them, but tonight it seemed that everyone had decided to be friendly. Draco didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary and joined in our complaints of different classes and discussions of who might win the house cup this year. It was a strangely normal dinner. Once the spectacular desserts had cleared away the flames in the pumpkins dimmed and a band that had come seemingly from nowhere began to play.

I had spent the entire night dreading this moment. I didn't want to spend the entire night sitting with a sulky Draco that probably wouldn't ask me to dance or allow me to dance with anyone else. Just as Sara was getting up to dance with Michael, Blaise turned to Kat and asked her to dance also. She seemed mildly shocked by this but quickly recovered and took his hand with a smile. It was no small wonder that he was somewhat interested in her. Kat was very pretty and Blaise had very high standards. However, it was a very sudden change. He'd not shown any interest in her until now. Although I suppose whatever girl he'd been dating was history. Obviously it was time to start girlfriend shopping again. While I pondered this I realized that Draco had been saying something to me and was now looking me as though waiting for an answer. I shook my head a little to bring myself back to earth and said, "Sorry, I was just thinking about something, and I didn't actually catch what you said."

"Well I had asked you if you wanted to dance with me, but since you're so disinterested I guess I should take that as a no."

Seeing that this may be my only chance to dance at all I quickly replied, "No, no! It's not that I'm disinterested I was just wondering what suddenly sparked Blaise's interest in Kat that's all. He's just never really seemed to care for her company before. Of course he's never really cared for our company in general. But to answer your question, yes I would like to dance."

The moment we stepped out onto the floor the fast paced tune that had been playing gave way to a much slower song. I hadn't anticipated that I'd find myself having to slow dance with Draco. Then again, I hadn't' thought I'd be dancing at all. For a moment I thought that he was going to change his mind and take me back to the table, but I was wrong. He spun me into the middle of the dance floor and pulled me close to himself. Grudgingly I admitted to myself that he was a good dancer.

"You're looking particularly beautiful tonight," Draco commented.

I didn't know what to make of the compliment. Just the other day he was cursing me and now he's telling me how nice I look. Talk about having multiple personalities. But I suppose I might as well make the most of the night, right?

I pulled back enough to look at him as we continued to move gracefully around the dance floor. "Thank you, Draco. Look, I don't know what's going on here, but I have to say I'm enjoying this nicer side of you. I didn't think you even had one. All I've ever seen is the evil, angry side."

He chuckled and answered, "I would hate to keep you too miserable. You might decide to do something desperate. Besides, I find that I'm quite enjoying having you around right now. You're making all of the other guys jealous."

We danced with almost every song they played. I had seen Blake only briefly. He seemed a little concerned with how things were going. And I know that I don't blame him. Who could after all of the things that Draco had done. But tonight at least he was behaving like a normal person. If I'm going to be stuck in this then I should at least make good of the few pleasant moments that I could find.

While Malfoy was getting drinks I happened to see Blake sitting at a table on the other side of the room. I wasn't able to talk to him, but he smiled and raised his glass in my direction. I returned his smile and winked conspiratorially.

The feast ended, the music stopped and the last of us were leaving the great Hall. As we were walking toward the corridor that lead to our common room Draco spotted Crabbe and Goyle lingering in the shadow of a statue.

He glanced at me and said, "You go on to the common room. I'll be right behind you." He joined them. As soon as he reached them they began speaking in hurried whispers. I was suspicious of what was going on but I just shrugged it off and continued down the now empty corridor. Suddenly someone grabbed my arm and spun me around. I looked up to find Blake smiling down at me. He laughed at the look of surprise on my face and hugged me.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I didn't get to talk to you at the feast. I had hoped that I might get the chance to dance with you. I can't believe that you and Malfoy danced the whole night. I thought for sure he wouldn't even get out of his chair and you would be bored. You looked like you were actually having a good time though," he grumbled somewhat sulkily.

I grabbed his hand and pulled him into an unused room. The only things in there were a few chairs and a broken desk. "Would you dance with me?" I asked.

He laughed and wrapped his arms around me and we began to dance with no music. "You're right I did enjoy the evening. I didn't think that I would either, but I thought that I should take advantage of whatever friendly personality decided to surface today. There's no point in making misery for myself. I took his good mood and went with it. Although I hate to think about what price I'm going to have to pay for the pleasantness. But this is nice too. I didn't think I would get to dance with you."

He pulled me closer and kissed me lightly on the forehead. Shocked by the sudden sweet gesture I looked up and found myself staring into his gorgeous eyes. We had stopped dancing and I hadn't even noticed, because his lips were slowly descending upon mine. I stood frozen, waiting. When our lips met it was a gentle kiss at first, but the longer we kissed the more passionate it became. We stood in the middle of the room holding on to each other and the moment. We finally broke apart; I sighed contentedly, resting my head against his shoulder.

He held me for a minute more before saying, "You'd better get back to the common room before they send out a search party. We've been in here for a while. I'm glad that I got to dance with you, though."

Reluctantly, I let go of him and stepped away. "You're right. I do need to get back. Aren't you coming though?"

"I don't want to chance someone catching us coming back together. I'm going to take a detour before I go to bed. I'll see you tomorrow," he replied with a smile.

"Okay." I turned to go, but as I got to the door I looked back and said, "This was an unexpected end to the night, but I'm happy it did end this way. Thank you for the dance. Goodnight, Blake."

I returned to the common room and went straight to the stairs leading to the girls' dorms. I crept into the room to keep from waking any of the others. I doubt a marching band could have woken them, though. Some of them had been so tired that they hadn't even bothered to let their hair down from the formal styles they'd worn to the feast.

I changed quickly into some comfortable clothes and got into bed. It had been a really long day. But the day had also had its perks. I was really happy about what had happened with Blake and pleasant memories of kissing him slipped into pleasant dreams as I finally found sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

The next morning Kat, Sara and I woke up late. We ate breakfast in the Great Hall and went back to the common room for a day of lazing around talking about the night before. They both wondered what had kept me out so late and I told them that I'd had too much energy left to just go to sleep so I had went for a walk. I felt bad for lying to them, but how could I tell them the truth? This wasn't something that anyone else was to know, especially Malfoy.

Oddly enough he had been absent all morning, but Blake hadn't been.

When I woke this morning I found that I had a note in my hand. I opened it quickly before any of the others were awake enough to notice.

_I know I didn't get to spend any time with you at the actual dance last night, but I much preferred our private party. I'm looking forward to seeing you later._

As we were discussing what everyone else had been wearing Draco came in and sat down beside me. I was a little startled at his sudden appearance, but he didn't say anything he just sat and listened to us talk. Kat and Sara gave me questioning looks but I shook my head almost imperceptibly. I would have to discuss his sudden change in behavior to them later.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. That evening we went down to the Great Hall for diner, but Malfoy didn't come with us. He said he had something to finish up and he would just see me later. I shrugged and went with Kat and Sara. It was just as well that he stayed behind. I needed to tell them what had been going on anyway.

When we got to the Great Hall they each took a seat on either side of me and gave me a look that clearly stated 'Spill it'.

"Okay, I know what you guys are wondering. So here it goes. Malfoy was being his usual self until the feast last night. He complimented me on my dress and we just talked. I know it was kind of out of character for him, but it was a really nice change. Then today, well you were there for that. I have to say it's been a really interesting change. So what do you make of it?"

Kat looked at me and smiled, "First of all, 'kind of out of character' is a serious understatement. It's out of the same universe as his normal character. But you're right it is definitely a good change. Personally I think that you're working your magic on him, so to speak. It seems that he's falling for you. Only something like that could make a guy act so differently."

Sara nodded her head in agreement. "I think you're right, Kat. I don't think he thought that he would at first but it seems that he got caught in your web. I know that for you this is probably just a continuation of your serial dating, but for him, and who knows how many other guys in the past, this is turning serious."

I took a moment to mull over their opinions of the situation and discarded the idea almost immediately. I couldn't tell them why, but I was sure that this wasn't the case. He must be up to something else. I know that he told me he was just trying to not push me too far, but I had the sneaking suspicion that there were ulterior motives.

I looked at each of them and said, "Maybe you two are right. Maybe he is falling, but I hope for his sake that the ground is soft where he lands. You've already pointed out the truth of the matter Sara. I'm just a serial dater with no intention of really falling for anyone myself." _Least of all the aspiring Death Eater with the hidden agenda, I thought to myself._

We finished eating and went back to the common room to finish up some last minute assignments. I only had a few translations to do for study of ancient runes, but Sara and Kat both still had potions essays to finish. When I was through I excused myself for a walk. I was bored with sitting in the common room, so I retrieved my cloak and went out for a stroll on the grounds. I knew I wasn't supposed to be out, but what's life without a little breaking of the rules?

I went to the same place where I had talked to Blake. I was surprised to find that someone was there. Whoever it was also had their cloak on and their hood up. Being cautious I held my wand tightly under my cloak as I slowly and quietly approached. When I was only a few steps away he turned his head and looked at me. I relaxed, immediately recognizing it to be Blake. He held out his hand and I took it, stepping forward and closing the distance between us. He pulled me into a warm embrace and kissed me.

"I wasn't expecting to see you here," I said.

"Well, I had hoped you might go for a walk and come here, and it looks like it was my lucky day," he replied.

He conjured up a comfortable looking chair and sat down. I put my hands on my hips and said, "Well that's not very nice. Are you going to make me conjure my own chair?"

He gave me an innocent look, "Honestly, I had hoped that one would be enough."

I laughed and sat down in his lap, propping my legs on the squishy armrest. He wrapped his arm around my waist and held me close. We sat and talked and looked for shooting stars.

"So tell me," I began, "how did you end up in Slytherin? You're pretty much the exact opposite in every trait associated with our house."

A thoughtful look was on his face when he replied," Well when we came to Hogwarts, I was a different person. I used to be everything that our house stood for, and then some things changed one summer and I grew up a lot. I realized that I didn't want to be that kind of person anymore. Actually, the Sorting Hat did consider putting me in Ravenclaw as well, but I was proud of my Slytherin traits at the time and insisted that was the right house for me."

I nodded and smiled, "I like who you are now. It seems like this is who you were meant to be." With that the conversation drifted to lighter topics. I found it easy to be in his company. I didn't have to think about my answer before I gave it; I could just be honest and uncensored.

When I finally looked at my watch I realized that it was really late. I had left the common room at eight, and it was now midnight.

"Oh no! We've got to get back before we get caught out this late."

We got rid of the chair and hurried back to the castle. When we got to the portrait he checked to make sure that the common room was empty before we entered. At the foot of the stairs I gave him a kiss and whispered, "We'll have to do this again sometime." He nodded and smiled at me before turning to go to the boys' dormitory.

When I got upstairs Sara was still awake. "Where have you been? It's after midnight and you've been gone for a long time. I don't know what you're thinking. You could get into serious trouble if you get caught being out of bounds this late!"

"Calm down Sara. I didn't get caught so what's the problem? There's no reason to worry about me. I'm fine. I just went for a walk and lost track of time, that's all. What did you think had happened to me?"

She gave me a look of suspicion before saying, "It's not like you to be gone for so long. I wasn't really sure what to think. Malfoy hasn't been around either and I guess part of me was worried that he had done something to you. I know you've told us that he's not the bad guy that we all think he is, but it's hard to forget all of the things he's done in the past. I guess I just got worried that he'd fooled you and done something horrible. I'm sorry I thought that about your boyfriend. I hope you can forgive me."

I sighed, "I'm not mad at you. Thank you for being concerned about me, but I promise I'm okay. I haven't even seen Malfoy since before we went to eat dinner. He said that he had some things to finish up. Anyway, I think it's time for both of us to get some sleep. I know I'm tired and you've had enough stress for one night."

I needed to figure out a way to stop lying to my friends. I knew that being honest was out of the question when it came to this, though. I may be a serial dater, but I've never been a cheater. I didn't really consider what was going on with Draco and me a relationship, though, so I don't feel guilty about being with Blake, but I know that if I tell the truth that Kat and Sara would give me away even if unintentionally. They wouldn't be able to resist the sly remarks when he was around, or the looks. So I would just have to continue with the way things were. This double life wasn't easy, but it was worth it.

The next morning I found another note in my hand when I woke up. Through a crack in the hangings of my bed I could see that it was still dark out. I had woken before the sun had even come up. I lit my wand and read what Blake had written: _I'm really glad that we spent time together last night. Next time we'll have to be a bit more careful about the time, though. I hope you slept well. See you later._

I got out of bed quietly and went to get a quick shower. I was out and dressed in twenty minutes. Everyone else was still asleep. I took this chance to sneak into the boys' dorm with a return note to Blake. All of them had the hangings of their four posters closed. When I got to Blake's I pulled them back to find him lying on his back with his hands folded behind his head. He turned to look when I appeared. A smile was on his face as soon as he realized it was me.

"What are you doing here? What are you doing awake so early?" he whispered.

"I just woke up and decided to return your note. I can leave if you'd rather I not be here though," I whispered with a mischievous glimmer in my eyes.

He reached over and pulled me toward him. Once I was on the bed he pulled the hangings closed again and I snuggled close to his bare chest.

"I take it you don't want me to leave then. You know, it's quite dangerous for me to be here. If we get caught we're in more trouble than just detention," I said.

"I'll take my chances. I think it's worth it. Besides, the rest of them won't be awake for at least an hour yet. I'd rather spend that hour with you than alone just wondering what you're doing."

I ran my hand over his bare skin and leaned over to kiss him. We spent most of the hour without talking, but I enjoyed it. I snuck out before the rest of the guys woke up. I went back to my own dorm to get the books I would need for my first couple of classes and then to the common room to wait for the others.

Draco was the first to come down the stairs. He saw me sitting on the couch by the fire with a book open on my lap. He walked over and sat down next to me. "You're up awfully early this morning," he commented.

I looked up from my reading and replied, "I slept very well last night."

He merely nodded and I returned to my reading. He was obviously resigned to wait for my friends with me. As soon as they came downstairs we made our way to breakfast. There wasn't much conversation this morning. Everyone seemed to be lost in their own thoughts. I was so busy thinking about Blake that it was a few minutes before I noticed that Malfoy was holding my hand. I glanced at him. He didn't even seem to realize he was doing it. At least, he wasn't acting any different than normal. He had to know that he was holding my hand. It's not something you just do without even noticing. But before I had time to think about it anymore he let go and instead moved his hand to the small of my back and gently guided me to our usual places at the Slytherin table. It was different than normal. Usually he didn't even touch me. He just acted as though he expected me to do what he wanted. I was a little thrown off by what was going on. Could Kat and Sara be right? Was he really falling for me?….._No! Impossible._ There had to be something else going on here. He must be trying to lull me into a false sense of security. He was definitely up to something.


	13. Chapter 13

The next morning Kat, Sara and I woke up late. We ate breakfast in the Great Hall and went back to the common room for a day of lazing around talking about the night before. They both wondered what had kept me out so late and I told them that I'd had too much energy left to just go to sleep so I had went for a walk. I felt bad for lying to them, but how could I tell them the truth? This wasn't something that anyone else was to know, especially Malfoy.

Oddly enough he had been absent all morning, but Blake hadn't been.

When I woke this morning I found that I had a note in my hand. I opened it quickly before any of the others were awake enough to notice.

_I know I didn't get to spend any time with you at the actual dance last night, but I much preferred our private party. I'm looking forward to seeing you later._

As we were discussing what everyone else had been wearing Draco came in and sat down beside me. I was a little startled at his sudden appearance, but he didn't say anything he just sat and listened to us talk. Kat and Sara gave me questioning looks but I shook my head almost imperceptibly. I would have to discuss his sudden change in behavior to them later.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. That evening we went down to the Great Hall for diner, but Malfoy didn't come with us. He said he had something to finish up and he would just see me later. I shrugged and went with Kat and Sara. It was just as well that he stayed behind. I needed to tell them what had been going on anyway.

When we got to the Great Hall they each took a seat on either side of me and gave me a look that clearly stated 'Spill it'.

"Okay, I know what you guys are wondering. So here it goes. Malfoy was being his usual self until the feast last night. He complimented me on my dress and we just talked. I know it was kind of out of character for him, but it was a really nice change. Then today, well you were there for that. I have to say it's been a really interesting change. So what do you make of it?"

Kat looked at me and smiled, "First of all, 'kind of out of character' is a serious understatement. It's out of the same universe as his normal character. But you're right it is definitely a good change. Personally I think that you're working your magic on him, so to speak. It seems that he's falling for you. Only something like that could make a guy act so differently."

Sara nodded her head in agreement. "I think you're right, Kat. I don't think he thought that he would at first but it seems that he got caught in your web. I know that for you this is probably just a continuation of your serial dating, but for him, and who knows how many other guys in the past, this is turning serious."

I took a moment to mull over their opinions of the situation and discarded the idea almost immediately. I couldn't tell them why, but I was sure that this wasn't the case. He must be up to something else. I know that he told me he was just trying to not push me too far, but I had the sneaking suspicion that there were ulterior motives.

I looked at each of them and said, "Maybe you two are right. Maybe he is falling, but I hope for his sake that the ground is soft where he lands. You've already pointed out the truth of the matter Sara. I'm just a serial dater with no intention of really falling for anyone myself." _Least of all the aspiring Death Eater with the hidden agenda, I thought to myself._

We finished eating and went back to the common room to finish up some last minute assignments. I only had a few translations to do for study of ancient runes, but Sara and Kat both still had potions essays to finish. When I was through I excused myself for a walk. I was bored with sitting in the common room, so I retrieved my cloak and went out for a stroll on the grounds. I knew I wasn't supposed to be out, but what's life without a little breaking of the rules?

I went to the same place where I had talked to Blake. I was surprised to find that someone was there. Whoever it was also had their cloak on and their hood up. Being cautious I held my wand tightly under my cloak as I slowly and quietly approached. When I was only a few steps away he turned his head and looked at me. I relaxed, immediately recognizing it to be Blake. He held out his hand and I took it, stepping forward and closing the distance between us. He pulled me into a warm embrace and kissed me.

"I wasn't expecting to see you here," I said.

"Well, I had hoped you might go for a walk and come here, and it looks like it was my lucky day," he replied.

He conjured up a comfortable looking chair and sat down. I put my hands on my hips and said, "Well that's not very nice. Are you going to make me conjure my own chair?"

He gave me an innocent look, "Honestly, I had hoped that one would be enough."

I laughed and sat down in his lap, propping my legs on the squishy armrest. He wrapped his arm around my waist and held me close. We sat and talked and looked for shooting stars.

"So tell me," I began, "how did you end up in Slytherin? You're pretty much the exact opposite in every trait associated with our house."

A thoughtful look was on his face when he replied," Well when we came to Hogwarts, I was a different person. I used to be everything that our house stood for, and then some things changed one summer and I grew up a lot. I realized that I didn't want to be that kind of person anymore. Actually, the Sorting Hat did consider putting me in Ravenclaw as well, but I was proud of my Slytherin traits at the time and insisted that was the right house for me."

I nodded and smiled, "I like who you are now. It seems like this is who you were meant to be." With that the conversation drifted to lighter topics. I found it easy to be in his company. I didn't have to think about my answer before I gave it; I could just be honest and uncensored.

When I finally looked at my watch I realized that it was really late. I had left the common room at eight, and it was now midnight.

"Oh no! We've got to get back before we get caught out this late."

We got rid of the chair and hurried back to the castle. When we got to the portrait he checked to make sure that the common room was empty before we entered. At the foot of the stairs I gave him a kiss and whispered, "We'll have to do this again sometime." He nodded and smiled at me before turning to go to the boys' dormitory.

When I got upstairs Sara was still awake. "Where have you been? It's after midnight and you've been gone for a long time. I don't know what you're thinking. You could get into serious trouble if you get caught being out of bounds this late!"

"Calm down Sara. I didn't get caught so what's the problem? There's no reason to worry about me. I'm fine. I just went for a walk and lost track of time, that's all. What did you think had happened to me?"

She gave me a look of suspicion before saying, "It's not like you to be gone for so long. I wasn't really sure what to think. Malfoy hasn't been around either and I guess part of me was worried that he had done something to you. I know you've told us that he's not the bad guy that we all think he is, but it's hard to forget all of the things he's done in the past. I guess I just got worried that he'd fooled you and done something horrible. I'm sorry I thought that about your boyfriend. I hope you can forgive me."

I sighed, "I'm not mad at you. Thank you for being concerned about me, but I promise I'm okay. I haven't even seen Malfoy since before we went to eat dinner. He said that he had some things to finish up. Anyway, I think it's time for both of us to get some sleep. I know I'm tired and you've had enough stress for one night."

I needed to figure out a way to stop lying to my friends. I knew that being honest was out of the question when it came to this, though. I may be a serial dater, but I've never been a cheater. I didn't really consider what was going on with Draco and me a relationship, though, so I don't feel guilty about being with Blake, but I know that if I tell the truth that Kat and Sara would give me away even if unintentionally. They wouldn't be able to resist the sly remarks when he was around, or the looks. So I would just have to continue with the way things were. This double life wasn't easy, but it was worth it.

The next morning I found another note in my hand when I woke up. Through a crack in the hangings of my bed I could see that it was still dark out. I had woken before the sun had even come up. I lit my wand and read what Blake had written: _I'm really glad that we spent time together last night. Next time we'll have to be a bit more careful about the time, though. I hope you slept well. See you later._

I got out of bed quietly and went to get a quick shower. I was out and dressed in twenty minutes. Everyone else was still asleep. I took this chance to sneak into the boys' dorm with a return note to Blake. All of them had the hangings of their four posters closed. When I got to Blake's I pulled them back to find him lying on his back with his hands folded behind his head. He turned to look when I appeared. A smile was on his face as soon as he realized it was me.

"What are you doing here? What are you doing awake so early?" he whispered.

"I just woke up and decided to return your note. I can leave if you'd rather I not be here though," I whispered with a mischievous glimmer in my eyes.

He reached over and pulled me toward him. Once I was on the bed he pulled the hangings closed again and I snuggled close to his bare chest.

"I take it you don't want me to leave then. You know, it's quite dangerous for me to be here. If we get caught we're in more trouble than just detention," I said.

"I'll take my chances. I think it's worth it. Besides, the rest of them won't be awake for at least an hour yet. I'd rather spend that hour with you than alone just wondering what you're doing."

I ran my hand over his bare skin and leaned over to kiss him. We spent most of the hour without talking, but I enjoyed it. I snuck out before the rest of the guys woke up. I went back to my own dorm to get the books I would need for my first couple of classes and then to the common room to wait for the others.

Draco was the first to come down the stairs. He saw me sitting on the couch by the fire with a book open on my lap. He walked over and sat down next to me. "You're up awfully early this morning," he commented.

I looked up from my reading and replied, "I slept very well last night."

He merely nodded and I returned to my reading. He was obviously resigned to wait for my friends with me. As soon as they came downstairs we made our way to breakfast. There wasn't much conversation this morning. Everyone seemed to be lost in their own thoughts. I was so busy thinking about Blake that it was a few minutes before I noticed that Malfoy was holding my hand. I glanced at him. He didn't even seem to realize he was doing it. At least, he wasn't acting any different than normal. He had to know that he was holding my hand. It's not something you just do without even noticing. But before I had time to think about it anymore he let go and instead moved his hand to the small of my back and gently guided me to our usual places at the Slytherin table. It was different than normal. Usually he didn't even touch me. He just acted as though he expected me to do what he wanted. I was a little thrown off by what was going on. Could Kat and Sara be right? Was he really falling for me?….._No! Impossible._ There had to be something else going on here. He must be trying to lull me into a false sense of security. He was definitely up to something.


	14. Chapter 14

The next morning I woke with a severe headache. I got dressed and instead of waiting on the others to go to breakfast and then class, I went straight to the hospital wing. I told Madam Pomfrey that I wasn't feeling well. I must have looked horrible because she put me straight to bed and began giving me potions.

It was a while before anyone came to find me. Blake walked in looking concerned. He must have been thinking that Malfoy had done something to me, and to a certain degree he was right. I gave him a weak, reassuring smile and patted the space next to me in an invitation for him to sit down.

"What's wrong? Why are you up here? I've been looking for you all morning. I was worried that something had happened to you."

"Nothing has happened to me. I just wasn't feeling well this morning. Madam Pomfrey will have me set right in no time. Until then you can tell me what has been going on today," I said.

He looked at me, worry clouding his gaze for a moment before he continued, "Well nothing interesting has really happened so far. I missed you in class. Are you going to be out of here by tonight?"

Giving him a curious look I replied, "I should be out of here before dinner. Why do you ask?"

He smiled and answered, "I was hoping that we could have another night In our favorite getaway. I promise I won't keep you out so late this time, but I do want to spend some time with you again. Do you think you'll feel well enough for that?"

I smiled up at him before saying, "I think that it's quite possible that another night under the stars would make me feel even better."

He returned my smile and before turning to leave said, "Great, I'll meet you there at eight thirty."

As he left I stopped to wonder how I was going to get away tonight. I had promised my friends that I would study with them tonight. Although, I had spent the day in the hospital wing, maybe they would be willing to do it tomorrow night instead. I could just tell them that I needed a little more rest, use a Disillusionment charm and sneak out when no one was paying any attention.

With the promise of another night alone with Blake, I was able to temporarily forget about my parents' betrayal. As I suspected Kat and Sara were just happy that I was ok. Apparently for a while they had thought that Draco had done something horrible to me. After they were able to visit me during their free period they were so relieved that they didn't object to changing out plans in the least.

Madame Pomfrey deemed me recovered in time that I could have made it to my last class if I had really been in a rush. Instead of going, though, I went back to the girls' dormitories and took a shower. I considered skipping dinner but decided I had better go when my stomach loudly protested this particular decision. It wouldn't be good for my stomach to sound like a werewolf was trying to escape while I was with Blake tonight.

I was one of the first to make it to the Great Hall. The pork chops were excellent as usual, but I could hardly enjoy them. I ate so fast that I barely even noticed what I had on my plate. I just wanted to get out of there before Draco came in. I didn't know whether or not I would be able to keep my anger in check if I had to see him again so soon after his devastating news.

Luck was not on my side. Just as I was thinking that it might be safe to slow down so I didn't choke, he walked in and spotted me straight away. Not letting his gaze stray from his target he quickly made his way over.

"I've been looking for you all day. Why didn't you come to any of our classes?" he asked as he took the seat next to me.

"I went to the hospital wing this morning. I wasn't feeling well. I had a terrible headache. Although that's nothing compared to the sudden sharp pain I'm experiencing in my arse. Hmmm…I wonder who is causing that." I sarcastically replied.

"There's no use in getting snippy with me. You think I planned this? I didn't want to end up shackled to you. I just wanted to make you eat your words about never dating me. I like to win, and you were just another challenge. It was my mother's scheme that got us both into this mess. Now we have no choice so you might as well not make it any more unpleasant than it has to be," he said with a sneer.

"Back to the old charm I see. Look, I know that this isn't what you wanted. I don't have to like it, though. You're just going to have to give me a little time to come to terms with this whole infuriating situation. I'm going back to the common room. Assuming I have no choice, I'll see you later," I replied.

Our discussion hadn't lasted more than a few minutes and we had kept out voices quiet, but it seemed that several people had taken notice of our less than happy interlude. Most of the people that noticed, however, were merely hopeful females that wanted me out of the way. Little did they know that I would have gladly traded places with them.

In a very distracted stated I made my way back to the common room and curled up in my favorite seat by the fire. I didn't want to give up Blake. He was a nice guy. There weren't any dark secrets haunting his past and he was thoughtful and fun. But it seemed that we weren't even going to get a chance to find out if it would have worked or not. All of my chances with anyone were dead and gone. I was about to become 'Mrs. Draco Malfoy'. The thought was like a poison that was destined to kill me slowly.

As I sat pondering my fate, an errant thought slid across my mind and made me wonder if I was losing my sanity. Why should he be so upset at having to be with _me_? I should be the only one with anything to lose here. What's wrong with me that makes the idea so distasteful to him? Of course I don't want him to want me. I suppose it just injures my pride that he doesn't. Before I knew it the time had passed and the common room had filled up.

At eight I got up and went upstairs. I didn't want anyone to see me actually leaving the common room. I put my cloak on, and Disillusioned, I carefully made my way to the portrait hole. Just as I got there it swung open. Draco paused momentarily as I slipped past him. He had a thoughtful look that made me wonder if sensed that someone was there. But I made my way out of the castle without incident. When I arrived on the grounds where I was supposed to meet Blake I found that he was already there despite the fact that I was early myself.

I removed the charm. When He heard me approach he turned and smiled at me. I returned his smile with one of my own and said, "I thought I would be here before you. What have you got here?"

He shrugged and gestured to the large comfortable looking chair and the small but inviting bright blue fire in front of us, "Well I thought we should be comfortable and warm so I did a little wand work before you got here. And you would only have gotten here before me if you'd been here for more than an hour. I wanted to make sure that everything was ready when you got here."

I hugged him and smiled before pulling him closer to the fire. He sat down in the chair and pulled me down to sit in his lap. I reached for my wand and conjured a soft, warm quilt and we settled in to enjoy a few stolen hours together. We spent most of our time talking about our childhoods and friends. We watched for shooting stars and I was able to forget my troubles for a while. As with all good things, though, our time was at an end too soon. We were already out of bounds after hours. When we got back into the castle we parted ways in the entrance hall. He was making a detour to the kitchens since he had skipped supper to get everything ready for me.


	15. Chapter 15

The next few days slipped past without event. The Christmas holidays were only a week away and I was finding it harder to ignore the pressing thoughts of where my vacation would be spent. Draco had been oddly quiet lately. I wasn't sure what to make of it. He had done all of the things expected of a boyfriend, but he didn't have his usual air of superiority. We ate together and talked and he held my hand while walking down the corridors. He didn't harass people like normal and he was even sort of polite to me. It was strange to say the least.

That weekend was the last Hogsmeade trip of the year. We were all planning on going to do some Christmas shopping. When we got to the village my friends and I went to get gifts for our parents. I had already ordered their presents through the mail. Owl post was relatively slow lately and I had ordered them a month ago. They had finally arrived last night. I had bought Kat the cloak that she had been admiring in a catalog, and I got a set of books that Sara had been drooling over for ages.

I had been considering what I would get my parents for Christmas, but I couldn't deny that I truly didn't want to get them anything. They had sold me for self preservation and not even been brave enough to tell me themselves. Since Draco had given me the bad news I had only received a single letter from them, andI couldn't even think about the contents of that particular piece of correspondence. Draco had not mentioned our fate since our conversation in the Great Hall. Even more confusing was whether or not I should get him anything. Usually I made sure to remember to get my boyfriends presents for birthdays and holidays and the like, but this wasn't a typical relationship. Maybe I should just buy something small.

I pondered this as we purchased our gifts for our parents. I had gotten my father a set of robes and my mother a new quill with a personalized stationary set. She was always writing to her friends and our relatives. I couldn't, not love them even if I didn't like them right now. I was still resolved to remain silent in their presence though. I didn't think that it would be wise to tell them what I was thinking. They wouldn't like it very much. Although they can't act like they didn't bring it on themselves.

As we left and made for another shop I spotted Draco going into the Three Broomsticks. He was tucking something into his cloak and looking around to see that no one was looking. I told the others that I was thirsty. They agreed that it would be nice to get out of the cold and get a drink, so we followed Malfoy. I wondered just what it was that he was hiding, and I couldn't extinguish the cynical though that it must be something dealing with You-Know-Who. We found a table in the corner and made ourselves comfortable.

After a few minutes I spotted Malfoy in the corner alone. He was looking at something but I couldn't see what it was from such a distance. Surely he wouldn't have some dangerous dark object in plain view for someone to walk past and see him with it. What on earth was he being so secretive about then?

"…if you were going to come by on Christmas Eve this year?" Kat asked. I realized too late that she had been talking to me while I was lost in thought.

"I'm sorry, I was just…thinking. Anyway, I would like to but I don't know if I will be able to this year. My parents sent me a letter saying that we wouldn't be spending the holidays at home." I had come so close to telling them the whole truth, but that was just too much to deal with right now.

"Really? They didn't say where you were going?" asked Sara, as she studied me with a curious look.

"Actually they didn't. They just said that they wanted to surprise me. I guess I'll have to tell you all about it when we get back. In the meantime, you guys still have some shopping to do, and there's only one more place I have to go before I head back to the castle. I'll see the two of you when you get back, ok?" They looked at me a little suspiciously, but merely agreed and made their way back out into the snowy street. I walked over to Draco's table. As I stopped in front of him he hastily slipped whatever was in his hand back into his cloak pocket. He obviously didn't want me knowing about whatever it was he was involved in. He looked over at me as I took the chair next to him and said, "You're finished shopping? I would have thought you would need the whole day."

"Well, if I hadn't already bought several gifts though the mail it would have taken longer. So yes, I am finished. I have almost everything I need. I just have one more place to stop before I go back to the castle. I take it you're finished, too?"

"Yes, I've gotten everything I need from here. I was just about to go back myself. I suppose I will go with you, though. When we get back we can discuss the arrangements for the holidays. There are a few things that I have to tell you before we get to the manor," he replied.

There was nothing that I could really say. I had been dreading the very thought of my holidays, but there was no avoiding it. It was merely a few of days until I would be there.

We left the Three Broomsticks without further conversation. We made my final stop in the village and while he was looking at the items for sale I purchased his present. I had selected a handsome set of silver cufflinks with emeralds set in them. I had the shopkeeper wrap them, and once she was finished I tucked the parcel safely out of sight.

As we were leaving the shop I noticed that the streets of Hogsmeade had become eerily quiet. Things where already more subdued than normal considering the way things were in the wizarding world at present, but it now seemed as if there was no life at all in the little village.

We both stopped and looked at each other in puzzlement. When we entered the shop there were many Hogwarts students wandering around, but now there wasn't a single person to be seen. Quickly, we found out why. As cold as it was outside, we were starting to feel a much deeper chill that felt as though it were coming from within. A feeling of dread, worse than any I had experienced in the last few days, was settling over us. Dementors. There was no other explanation. We turned to go back to the shop so we would have some small amount of protection from them, but we found that we weren't the only ones that had realized what was coming. All of the shutters were closed over the windows down the street and no one was answering the knocks at the door. They were afraid to open them. We had been the only ones that hadn't seen the shadowy figures of terror descending toward the village.

"We have to get out of here. If they catch us we're finished. There has to be somewhere around here that we can get into. There's nothing to stop them from coming after us, but let's not present them with an easy target. Come on!" I said urgently.

Draco grabbed my arm and pulled me down an alley. We were running past houses when I felt the cold dread of their presence bear down upon us. What was the point in running? They were going to catch us and the only thing that would be left was a soulless body. The ministry no longer controlled them and there was nothing to stop the dementors from performing the Kiss.

I wasn't the only one that noticed their pursuit. I glanced back over my shoulder, but as I did I neglected to see the half concealed hole that was in front of me. Partially covered in snow, but fairly deep, I didn't notice it in time. My foot got caught and I fell. Draco slid to a halt and tried to help pull me back up, but it seemed that I had injured my leg pretty badly.

"Come on! You have to get up! There isn't any time to waste. We have to get to that cottage!" He said between gasps of air.

I somehow managed to get to the cottage and inside. I collapsed on an old dust covered couch. He locked the door and started a fire in the grate that lit the room before turning to look at me. I sat up and tried to summon a happy memory.

"Expecto patronum!" I said. A large silvery panther erupted from my wand tip, and knowing what I wanted, walked through the door. It could be faintly seen through the window as it paced back and forth in front of the cottage.

"Now why the bloody hell didn't you do that before you hurt yourself trying to escape them?" he asked angrily.

"Well I wasn't able to think of anything happy so that I could. Besides, it's better that we have some shelter. There's no knowing how long they will stay. Everyone was in such high spirits over the coming holidays it's no wonder they were attracted. I suppose no one was aware that there were any in the area or we definitely wouldn't have been allowed in the village today," I replied.

He sat down beside me on the couch and began examining my ankle. Apparently I had sprained it severely when I fell. "Well I'm no good at healing spells, what about you?" he asked.

"They've never been my strong suit, and I'm not willing to start testing out my skills on myself," I replied. Stopping to think for a moment before doing so, I grabbed my wand and whispered, "_Ferula_," conjuring a splint for my ankle and then propping it up on a couple of pillows. "I need some ice. That should help slow the swelling."

Draco nodded and went to the kitchen. When he returned he had a dishcloth in which he conjured some ice. He placed it carefully on my ankle before sitting down beside me.  
"How long do you think we should wait here? They will be looking for us back at the castle."

I looked at him briefly before answering. "I don't really know how long the dementors will stay around for, but it doesn't really matter. It's already night and there's no way that I can make it back to the school like this in the dark. I would be more likely to fall again and who knows what would happen this time. I think that we should at least stay here for the night and then we can leave in the morning. I can conjure a crutch to help me walk back."

We sat in silence for a while. We had pulled the curtains closed and locked all of the doors, not that it would do us much good if we were going to be attacked. Draco also put a few protective charms around the place, both of us hoping that we wouldn't need them. The night was getting colder, but thankfully there was already a fair amount of firewood inside. Summoning blankets and pillows from somewhere in the cottage I made myself as comfortable as I could on the dusty old couch.


	16. Chapter 16

"I wonder if there's anything to eat around here," I mumbled. My stomach was loudly protesting the lack of dinner.

"I was thinking the same thing," replied Draco as he got up from the chair nearest to the fire. He wandered into the pantry and began searching.

"Well, it seems this place has been abandoned for quite a while. There's nothing left in the cupboard."

"We did go to Honeyduke's earlier. I think there are a few sweets left in one of those shopping bags. Have a look and see what you can find."

With a nod he went to the pile of shopping bags that had been dropped by the door. I wasn't sure how, or even why, I managed to hold onto all of them, but if there was anything left to eat I'd just be grateful.

"There is a good bit left in this bag. At least there's enough to keep our stomachs quiet for a while. Let's just not eat too much. I don't want to add a stomach ache to our list of problems," he said.

"You have a point, but the chocolate should help get rid of the lingering feeling from the dementors, too. So at least the sweets will be of some use," I replied.

I had propped my injured foot onto the low table in front of the couch. With the splint it was feeling much better, but it still hurt to move it too much.

Taking the bag of sweets, he walked over and sat down in the empty space beside me. With a half smile he offered me the bag. With the aid of the chocolate we slowly began to feel a bit more relaxed.

"I wonder if there was anyone else that got left behind in the village. They're probably looking for us. Then again, they may not be considering that everyone will assume that we were caught by the dementors," he said.

I nodded in agreement and answered, "Well I suppose we're stuck here in the meantime. At least we have a fire to keep us from freezing."

I looked up from the bit of chocolate that I had been eating to find Draco staring at me intently. He clearly had something on his mind but for once I didn't have the faintest idea what it could be.

"_I can't believe that she's not in bloody hysterics about this. She looks positively calm. Why does she have to keep surprising me?"_

"What is it? Do I have chocolate on my face or something? You're looking at me like I've grown a second head," I said, breaking him out of his reverie.

"No, there's nothing on your face. I was just trying to decide whether or not you're really this calm under these circumstances, or if you're just in some sort of shock over it all. I was wondering if you'll turn into the typical woman and start shouting and crying," he answered.

Surprised a bit by his reply, I laughed, "Well, I've never really been prone to fits of hysteria. I'm really good at compartmentalizing things, and I just accept that all of this is out of my control at the moment. Not to mention, I'm sure we'll be fine. We'll just have to wait until morning and hope that they've cleared out and we can make it back to the castle, or at least to someone that can help us out."

"I suppose you're right," he paused. With a look like he wasn't sure he wanted to voice his next thought, he blurted out, "When you say, 'all of this' are you just talking about your ankle and the dementors, or do you mean us as well? I know it's not something we've really talked about, and while we've got nothing else to do, we might as well figure out what we can."

I sat for a moment, staring blindly into the distance, considering his question. I didn't think about it when I said it, but it does apply. There's nothing I can do to stop what's happening. Yes, I'm angry at my parents, I think that they should have stood up for me. They are supposed to be on my side. At least my mother knew how I felt about Draco. I had told her how I despised him years ago. Surely she could have done something to stop this from happening. Even though I wanted to be angry with him, I couldn't help but think that he didn't actually want this either. He had just wanted to humiliate me and exact revenge for all of the times that I had publicly rejected him. It was all a matter of pride for Malfoy. He would never have taken it this far. Maybe he can reason with his mother, though. There's a difference in not seeking something out and not fighting what's happening to you.

Finally, I met his gaze, "When I said that, I was only thinking about right now, but it's also true about everything else. I wrote to my parents after you told me what your mother had done. My father returned a very short missive stating that it was a perfectly respectable pureblood marriage to one of the oldest wizarding families in Britain, and that I should be pleased that your mother thought so highly of me. He also commented that there were certain arrangements, contracts I believe he said, that have already been drawn up which are binding. I'm not exactly clear on what penalty would follow for breaking these constraints, but I doubt it's anything simple or pleasant. I know that you didn't ask for this, it's one thing to have a vendetta against me for all of the ways I've publicly embarrassed you, but another entirely not to be able to stop it whenever you've had your fun. You can be mean spirited and cruel, and you're selfish, inconsiderate, and shallow, but this ending serves you no purpose. I'm sure you had a mind to marry some hateful, cruel bitch that wouldn't care what you did as long as she could spend your money and live in luxury. I'm not interested in that. My family is wealthy as well, and I'm not a cold, unfeeling whore. So I suppose the only thing that I can think of to help us out of this whole mess is for you to speak to your mother and explain to her how much you're against marrying me. Surely she can devise another way of getting you out of the ministry's crosshairs."

_He had only flinched imperceptibly at the insults flung at him so carelessly, but inwardly he was a roiling mass of emotions; each one fighting for control. Anger was, of course, the initial response. Who the bloody hell did she think she was? Next there was indignation; hadn't he been trying to at least be polite to her? Otherwise, he'd end up married to someone less pleasant to be around than a cat who'd just been given a bath in bubotuber puss. Then there was a feeling that he had trouble identifying. She couldn't really think so lowly of him. Sure, he wasn't some Gryffindor prat, but he wasn't a soul sucking dementor either. _

"Well, considering that you seem to think _so highly _of me, why do you even imagine that I would care to speak to my mother on your behalf? Perhaps I've decided I like the challenge you present. It'll be like breaking a thoroughbred; several of which we have in the stables at the manor. Since I'm so _cruel_, I would definitely find it entertaining to break the spirit of one as headstrong as you." he retorted with controlled fury clear in his tone.

Taken aback by his sudden shift in mood, I was momentarily speechless. What the bloody hell did I say to piss him off? Surely he wasn't upset about the way I'd described him. If anything, I assumed he would be proud of those traits. This conversation had turned a one eighty so fast that my head was spinning. We certainly weren't going to get anywhere but into a fight if we kept this up and I honestly just didn't have the energy for it. Tired, still hungry, and in a considerable amount of pain, I opted for a different route.

Sighing, I replied, "I'm sorry for saying those things about you. Honestly, I thought those were things that you wanted people to see in you. I would never bring up any of the nicer things because you tend to scoff at those kinds of compliments as if they're insulting. I know you can be courteous and humane when you think no one is looking. I appreciate the fact that you've been polite to me lately. I imagined that you would want out of this for reasons of self preservation. That was all I meant. However, if you really won't speak with your mother about this, then I would just ask that we can continue to be civil to each other until we can figure something else out."

He sat with his gaze downcast, a deflated, tired look on his face. "You always surprise me. Just when I think I have you figured out, you do something unexpected. Just now, I thought you were going to get angry over what I said and bring the house down on us, but instead you apologize? I'm too knackered to fathom what's going on in your head."

He heaved a sigh of exhaustion before fixing his eyes on mine. "Anyway, I've already tried reasoning with my mother. That's where I've been spending all my time lately. I've either been having conversations with her via the Floo network, or writing her letters. She refuses to budge. Once I thought I was making some progress, but the damned aurors stopped by to inspect the manor for any Dark Arts artifacts. Apparently they heard rumors that I was in contact with the Dark Lord, planning on assisting in breaking my father and other prisoners out. 'Hotheaded youth with nothing to lose', I think they called me. She thinks that this will give me a new image, change their opinion. Your family's honor has apparently been above board and they've not been suspected of any involvement with the Dark Lord or his Death Eaters. And without knowing exactly what the details of the contracts are, there's nothing else that I can think of to deter her."

"We are most assuredly trapped, in other words. Apparently we're going to have to make it our top priority to see those documents over the holidays, then. There's always a loophole. In the meantime, I'm exhausted. I think I'm going to go see if there's a passable bed in this place," and with that I gingerly removed my leg from the pillows and made to stand up.

In spite of my best efforts, I couldn't bear even the slightest bit of weight on my ankle. Just as suddenly as I began to fall, I stopped. Strong arms wrapped around me, steadying and supporting me. I looked up at him, mildly shocked, and began to stammer a thank you. He was staring at me with those notorious silvery gray eyes, only now they were darker, more intense, and I could feel his rapid heartbeat under the palm pressed against his chest. Before I could say anything, his lips were on mine. Without thinking, my lips parted against unexpected, soft warmth of his. With his arms wrapped around me, we stood; the length of our bodies pressed against each other, one hand against the small of my back pulling me closer to him, the other trailing a path like fire up my spine to rest cradling my head, his fingers tangled in my hair. Pouring all of the anger, confusion, and emotional turmoil of the last weeks into our embrace, I wound my arms around his neck, pulling him deeper into the kiss. At length, he gently pulled away, his grasp relaxing slightly, though not letting go. We stood, his forehead resting against mine, my palms pressed against his shoulders as I attempted to steady myself; each of us trying to catch our breath and regain our equilibrium.


	17. Chapter 17

"You should get some sleep. It's likely we've got a long walk ahead of us tomorrow," he softly intoned. Without another word, he encircled my waist with one arm while reaching down and swinging my legs up. Standing there holding me against his chest, he looked at me and shook his head as if I was a puzzle to which he couldn't find all of the pieces.

He turned and delicately deposited me on the couch, then unfurled a blanket and covered me with the soft fabric. Satisfied that I wasn't in danger of injuring myself further, he crossed the room to take his seat by the window.

Propping myself up on one elbow, I studied him for a moment in silence as he searched for anything out of place outside our temporary safe haven. My mind was reeling, and I couldn't even begin to understand what had just transpired. Leaving this as an enigma for later, I lay back and began to drift off. Through the haze, teetering between sleep and wakefulness, I imagined that I heard Draco say something.

_Across the room, he turned to look at her. The firelight glinted off the lengths of silky, black hair cascading off the pillow. His fingers twitched at the memory of how soft it had been. Her features relaxed in the comfort of sleep. She looked so small and vulnerable, nestled in the cushions of the oversized couch. _

"_Goodnight Kim," he whispered. _

In the early hours of the morning, the sky only faintly lit with the promise of dawn, I woke up mildly confused about exactly where I was. Sitting up, I blearily rubbed the sleep from my eyes and looked around the cottage, remembering the events that had led us here. With a sudden jolt memories about what had happened after that, I quickly looked over to the chair near the window. There was Draco; his head leaned against the cushioned back, his cloak wrapped around himself with his arms folded across his chest.

Reaching for my wand, I charmed a spare blanket over to him. He barely shifted as it fell across him. Then I proceeded to levitate another log onto the dying fire.

"_There's no point in waking him up this early to go back to the castle. Maybe someone will even find us and we won't have to make the trip alone. Besides, I doubt I'll get much peace and quiet for a while. No time like the present to figure out what the hell is going on around here. First, I need to decide how to deal with dear old mum and dad. I know one thing for certain; they're going to be less than happy to see me at Christmas. I'll make sure of that. This kind of betrayal cannot be ignored. Whatever lies they've told themselves to make this okay are going to be shattered. At least I'm not alone in my quest to end this madness. For once in all the time I've known him, I don't want to flay him alive and hang him out for the crows. What was that saying? 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend.' Although, I don't know that the term friend covers what occurred last night. Nothing really seems like it could cover whatever that was. This was just something I need to put out of my mind. It's not like he meant anything. It was just a kiss and nothing more. We were both just riding the adrenaline from nearly dying. Yes. That's it." _

My internal dialogue drifted off as I fell back asleep. Meanwhile, outside the cottage, the search for us was in full swing. Most of the students had made it back to the castle's protective grounds, but a few of us had been trapped in Hogsmeade. McGonagall had swept into the village, accompanied by several other professors, and armed with patronuses, they had pushed back the onslaught of dementors. They quickly began to search for the missing students. In large part, this wasn't particularly difficult. Everyone but the two of us had taken refuge in the shops. When the other students had all been accounted for, they began to seek us out. Kat and Sara had desperately supplied our last known whereabouts, and all of the store owners in that area were questioned on whether or not they had seen us before the attack. Finally, they found our trail. We had left a path in the snow, and after losing it several times in the brush, McGonagall sent for Fang. The hound easily picked up our scent and led them to the once abandoned cottage. The task of rescuing and accounting for all of the students had taken all night. Now the early morning sunlight lit the world with its brilliance, making the smoke from the chimney easily visible. The anxious professors approached the house, hoping that all of their charges had managed to escape unscathed, but as they neared, a wailing scream echoed all around them.

Malfoy bolted up from the chair, the blanket falling to his feet, his wand gripped tightly in his hand. The Caterwaulding charm had been set off. Peering through the curtains he observed several professors cringing at the noise, their ears covered to muffle the dreadful sound. He relaxed and disarmed the charm with a wave of his wand. A glance at the couch told him that he wasn't the only one disturbed by their rescue party. Kim sat there, wand in hand, her sleep tousled locks falling in her eyes.

"It's just a horde of professors come to find us," he remarked. Turning back to the window, he proceeded to remove the rest of the protective charms from the perimeter. When he looked back he found that she had smoothed her hair and looked perfectly composed.

Professor Flitwick was closest to the door and the first to enter. He beamed at them and praised Draco's charm work; who mutely accepted the compliments with a smirk of superiority. It was oddly reassuring that some things never changed.

Clearing my throat, I interrupted the fluffing of his ego and drew Flitwick's attention to my splinted limb. "Would you mind fixing this, Professor? Healing charms aren't exactly my strong suit and I felt it better not to chance further mishap," I stated.

"Why yes, of course I can! Forgive me for delaying, Miss Daniels," exclaimed Professor Flitwick. He quickly repaired the damage with a flick of his wand.

Bending my foot, I hesitantly assured myself that it was back to normal. Seizing my shoe, I smiled at him, "Thank you! That feels so much better!"

"Alright, that's all very well, but we need to return to the castle immediately," insisted McGonagall. "I'm both pleased and impressed that you made it through this relatively unscathed, but I'd rather Madam Pomfrey gave you a clean bill of health as well."

She finished replacing her shoe and slid her feet down from the couch to the floor. While she had been sorting herself out, Malfoy had moved from his position near the window and was standing near Daniels' shoulder. When she made a move to get up, he shifted as if to steady and assist her, but quickly dropped his hands to his sides as if he'd thought better of it. "_Well isn't that interesting," mused the Headmistress._

I was more than ready to leave this place. My stomach had been grumbling its displeasure since I had woken up the first time. Breakfast sounded heavenly. Crossing the room, I gathered my things and we exited the small house one by one. As she closed the door, McGonagall waved her wand and extinguished the last embers of the fire. When we made it to the village proper, there were two school carriages waiting to hasten our return. Silently we Malfoy and I climbed into one, accompanied by Professor Nightshade. The journey ended quickly and we were herded off to the hospital wing to be checked over by Madam Pomfrey.

Judging by the state of the infirmary, every student that had been left behind in the village had been sent here to be properly assessed. There were still a few ahead of us and we were escorted to two empty beds and told to wait. Still feeling quite tired, I shrugged and made myself comfortable.

Malfoy dropped gracefully onto the neighboring bed and huffed a sigh of frustration. "This is ridiculous. We're both perfectly fine."

Turning my head to the side, I regarded him through one half-lidded eye. "There's no sense in being peeved about it. Make a fuss if you want, but that's only going to drag out the process. As for me, wake me up when it's my turn. If I can't have a bath or breakfast, then I might as well have a nap," I retorted. Turning my back to him, I settled in for what ended up being the next two hours. Apparently there were a couple of unexpected, minor emergencies that resulted in our prolonged captivity in the infirmary.

When a light nudge finally woke me, it was nearly time for lunch. Madam Pomfrey insisted on examining Professor Flitwick's work. Much to her pleasure, everything was exactly as it should be. When she declared us officially unharmed, we both got up to leave.

"Oh, I'm afraid you can't go just yet," she remarked. "Professor McGonagall would like to have a word with you first," she added before turning to depart.

From the end of the hospital wing we could see her approach. She looked rather grim, but that wasn't uncommon these days. We stood waiting on her, hoping she wasn't planning on keeping us much longer.

"I know the two of you have had a long day, preceded by an even longer night, but I need you to tell me exactly what happened yesterday," she began without hesitation.

Before Malfoy could answer, I recounted our tale. "Well, we had gone into Madame D'Orsay's shop so I could pick up a gift. We were both preoccupied I suppose, and neither of us noticed that the streets were deserted until it was too late. By the time we realized what was happening, it was too late to do anything but run for it. We saw the cottage and were trying to make it inside when I twisted my ankle in a hole. Malfoy helped me inside and cast the protective charms and I was able to compose myself enough to cast a Patronus Charm. Neither of us is good enough with healing magic to risk mending the sprain, so I splinted it and we decided to wait until daylight to try and make it back on our own."

With a nod she answered, "You were both very lucky. Two members of the community weren't able to make it inside in time and both were found to be victims of the Kiss this morning. But I'm not here to impress your good fortune upon you. I came to tell you that you should gather your things and be ready to board the train this evening." She glanced from me to him, "Mr. Malfoy, your mother has expressed her displeasure at the danger you were in, and insists that you be allowed to return home early for the holidays. She also conveyed her wishes that Miss Daniels accompany you. As I understand it, the intention was for her to spend the holidays at Malfoy Manor prior to this incident." Turning her gaze back to me, she continued, "Your parents have already owled me to indicate that this is indeed accurate. I've already spoken with your professors, all of whom agree that considering everyone else will be leaving next week, there isn't anything of importance for you to miss. So, I suggest you both go and collect your things and let your friends know you'll be leaving."

I turned to give Malfoy a shocked stare, to which he made a nearly imperceptible shake of his head. Then, considering that I was mute with astonishment, he spoke for both of us. "Yes, we'll be ready to leave this evening."

With a curt nod, she turned and left as quickly as she had come. Without a word, I turned and hastily followed her. I could hear him, keeping pace a few steps behind me. Considering the time, I assumed that Kat and Sara would be in the Great Hall. On the way there, I was able to calm myself a bit. I thought about what they would say if I told them everything, but there just wasn't enough time left to do it properly. They would have questions, and some of them, I knew I wouldn't be able to bring myself to answer. If they were going to believe the lies that I was about to tell, I would have to get my emotions under control. I stopped just outside the doors and took a deep breath. Malfoy stood behind me, still maintaining his silence.


	18. Chapter 18

Calmly, I walked in, scanning the Slytherin table in search of my friends. I found them just as I had expected. Still feeling the disbelief at the turn of events, I went over to them. Kat was the first to see me; she jumped up and quickly closed the space between us, throwing her arms around me. "Oh my goodness, Kim, we're so glad you're alright!" she exclaimed. She stepped back so Sara could hug me as well, and I spared them a small smile. It was good to know that there were actually people that cared about me; my own parents obviously didn't.

"We were so worried when you didn't make it back! When we heard they'd found you this morning, we were so relieved!" Sara gushed.

Giving me a worried look, Kat interrupted her. "What is it? You don't look as pleased as someone who just survived a dementor attack should. What's happened?" she queried, with a malicious glance at Malfoy.

I attempted to give her a reassuring smile and answered, "It's nothing, really. I'm just disappointed that I'm going to miss spending the last few days with you guys before the holidays begin. My parents are insisting that they be allowed to bring me home early considering what happened. McGonagall has already cleared it with the other professors and I'll be leaving on the train this evening."

Sighing gloomily, Sara was the first to respond, "We're going to miss you, but I can understand why they'd want to have you home. I know you were safe, but it was really scary for everyone who didn't know that. You should just enjoy the extra free time. We'll owl each other like always."

The soft pressure of a hand on my shoulder momentarily distracted me. "We should go, we both have a lot of packing to do," Malfoy insisted.

"What do you mean '_we_', I doubt you can help her since you probably don't even know how to fold your own socks," hissed Kat before I had a chance to say anything.

"Not that it's any of your concern, but my mother was of the same mind as Kim's parents. So, we'll both be taking the train back tonight," he sneered.

Seeing that this was about to turn into a nasty scene quickly, I intervened. "Yes, we're both leaving. I should get to work on packing since we all know how I tend to leave things lying around everywhere. It's going to take me a bit to get everything together. Whenever you two are done here, I'd love some help if you've got time."

Shifting her gaze back to me, Kat relaxed somewhat, "Of course we'll help you. I'll just tell Blaise that I'll catch up with him later. We'll join you soon."

Nodding my agreement, I turned and left the for the Slytherin dorms. Malfoy accompanied me out, and once we were in a deserted corridor away from everyone I rounded on him. He pulled up short to keep from running into me after my abrupt stop.

"What do you think you're doing? I was going to tell them that we were both leaving, but now Kat's going to think you're kidnapping me or something! Despite the way I've been used like a pawn, I'm no one's property. You made it sound like we're going together, to the same place!" I ranted irrationally. He couldn't possibly understand why I hadn't been telling my friends the horrible truth of our new reality. Telling them that I was to marry him meant giving up on the hope that I'd find a way out of this whole mess. Telling them the truth made it real. As long as they didn't know, then some part of me could believe that everything would go back to the way it was before.

_She stepped closer as she yelled, pointing an accusing finger at me. Standing inches away now, her chest heaved as if she'd been running. She is definitely pissed, but I'm not even sure why. It's hard to pay attention to what she's saying when all I can think about is kissing her last night._

Catching the last part of my diatribe he retorted in confusion, "But we _are_ going to the same place. I don't understand what the big deal is. It's not like it's strange for you to come home with me considering that as far as they know we're bloody engaged."

The shifty expression on my face was enough to enlighten him. With a dawning look of comprehension, he furrowed his brow in obvious irritation and grasped each of my upper arms firmly when I tried to turn and walk away.

"You haven't told them? I thought they were you're best mates? Don't you girls run off to tell each other everything the instant something happens? It's not like it's the worst thing in the world, Kim. Besides, if we can't stop this from happening, what are you going to do then? Do you think they'll forgive you when they find out how long you've hidden the truth from them?" he demanded, as he shook me slightly, forcing me to meet his eyes.

My hands pressed against his chest, putting as much distance between us as he would allow. "You wouldn't understand why even if I told you," I groaned in frustration.

"Try me," he whispered dangerously.

"Fine," I snarled. "I haven't told them because that would make it real. It wouldn't be just something I could tell myself isn't really happening. I can't undo it once they know. Admitting it to my friends means that I've given up on finding some way to change our fate!" I wailed.

A feeling of being completely drained overcame me. Wearily I sagged against him, no longer pushing away, but accepting the steady strength his adamant presence seemed to offer. He somewhat reluctantly released my arms and wrapped his own around me. He heaved an exasperated sigh and said, "I won't say anything to them."

Pulling back, I looked at him warily. "You're really going to let me keep lying to them about this even though we both know it would be the grand finale to your prior revenge plans?"

He let me go and shoved his hands into the pockets of his school robes. "You're not the only one that's had the ability to choose stripped from you. Consider this a courtesy. We all have our secrets to keep, and as I said before, this was never part of my original plans."

I exhaled the breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. Placing my hand on his arm I replied, "Thank you. You really can be a decent person when you want to, you know?"

"Whatever. Don't mention it," he scoffed before stepping around me and continuing toward the Slytherin common room. Trudging after him, I tried to think of how I was going to get a chance to tell Blake that I was leaving.

We reached the portrait in silence. He muttered the password and the painting swung forward to allow us entrance. Separating on the stairs, we both headed to our respective dorms to begin packing.

Thankfully, the girls' dorm was empty. I closed the door behind me and leaned back heavily against it. The last twenty-four hours had been the longest of my life. So many things had happened that my head was still spinning. The most important thing being that I was spending an extra week at Malfoy Manor. I'd never really met Narcissa Malfoy. Of course I knew who she was, but now I was going to be in her home with no one to stop her from torturing me or whatever she else she might have in mind if I didn't do what she wanted.

Shaking my head, I forced myself to think about something else. I couldn't let this get the better of me. I'd survive this just like everything else. With newfound resolve, I went to my trunk to initiate the tedious process of packing. First and foremost, however, I wanted a bath. Besides being achy from my fall, I just felt like the last two days needed to be washed away.

After finally getting my much deserved bath, I felt almost like my old self. Now with that out of the way I could deal with the task at hand.

"_Scourgify_," I muttered, pointing my wand at the detritus that had collected in the bottom of my trunk. Satisfied that it was acceptably clean, I resumed my wand work. Almost as an orchestra conductor, I waved my wand, directing my belongings to their places. I separated the things that weren't mine and piled them on the bed to be returned before I left.

When I was just over halfway done, Sara and Kat returned. Their smiles faded a bit when they saw the half packed trunk and the pile of items on the bed. Sara looked back at me and spoke, "I know you're parents will be happy to see you, but we're sad to see you leave. And even though it's only for the holidays, I can't help but get the feeling that something is changing. It's almost like I'm afraid things will never be the same when you leave the castle tonight. I'm aware that sounds crazy, but I just can't shake the sensation."

I crossed the room and hugged them both. "Don't be silly. Nothing is going to change between us. Like you said, it's just for the holidays. We get separated for more than twice this time when we're out for summer. It's just because this is our last year. This is the last time we'll pack up and leave and come back. The next time, we'll leave these dorms forever. That's all that's changing for us. You two are the sisters I never had. We'll always be close just like we are now," I lied.


	19. Chapter 19

It cut me like a knife to be dishonest to them, but if things turned out the way I hoped, they would never have to know the truth. Things between us wouldn't have to change. We released our holds on each other and resumed the project of collecting all of my possessions. Most of the things in the pile belonged to the two of them, so the process of returning them was the easiest part. After we had collected the few stray items I'd left in the common room and finished putting them away, I closed the lid of my trunk and gathered the small stack of library books off of the bed before turning to face my friends. "Well, I suppose the last thing I need to do is return these or Madam Pince will have my head. One of the houselves should be up to make sure everything gets to the train. I'll meet the two of you down at the entrance," I said as we walked down the stairs.

They both murmured their concurrence and we parted ways. Across the common room I notice Blake watching me surreptitiously over the top of the book he'd been reading. With a nearly imperceptible nod of my head, I motioned for him to follow me. Putting his literature aside, he casually got up to trail after me. Only when we made it into the library did he catch up to me. We ducked between the rows of bookshelves and wended our way to a secluded corner. I abruptly sat my books down and spun around, throwing my arms around him in a fierce embrace.

He was momentarily startled by my sudden movement but recovered quickly and pulled me tight against himself. "Kim, is everything alright? I know you had to be scared with the dementor attack, but everything is okay. You're fine, and I'm here."

Leaning my forehead against his shoulder, I took a deep breath, inhaling his familiar scent. "Everything is going to be fine. I just wanted to see you again before I had to leave."

Confusion evident in his voice, he asked, "Leave? Why are you leaving?"

I leaned back and looked up at him. "After what happened our parents made a big deal about wanting to pull us out early for the holidays. I'm about to go down to the entrance hall now to leave for the train."

He raised an eyebrow and inquired, "_Our_?"

I sighed, "Yes, _our_. Malfoy is leaving as well. We're due to catch the train back to London."

"I'm sorry you'll be making that journey with only him for company. I wish you weren't going. I thought we'd have a few more nights to sneak out to our spot. But if you have to go, at least I can owl you over the holidays. And since you're leaving, there's one more thing before you go," he trailed off as he dropped his head to kiss me.

Stepping back, I smiled up at him. "I should return those before I go," I stated, motioning toward the books lying forgotten on the table.

He squeezed my hand before stepping aside to let me pass. I gathered the books and found my way out of the maze of shelves without a looking back. Lost in thought, I wordlessly returned the books to Madam Pince and left the library.

_Why on earth did I pull away from him? It's still almost an hour until I have to be on the train. It's not like I didn't have time to spend with him. Something just didn't feel right. There was something different about the way he held me, kissed me. He didn't seem any different, though. There was nothing that I could put my finger on anyway._

I resolved not to worry about Blake. It had just been a very long day and I needed sleep. In the entrance hall I found Sara and Kat talking quietly in a corner while they waited on me. A flicker of movement in the corner of my eye alerted me to the presence of someone lingering about. Draco leaned casually against the far wall. His gaze zeroed in on me, studying my movements as I walked toward my friends.

Ignoring him, I went over to them to say goodbye. Since both of us were here, there was no reason to delay. We could go ahead and leave to board the train. Kat and Sara looked up as I approached. I smiled at them and resolved to hold the memory of my two best friends in my head to help get me through the coming days. "I suppose we should be going. It's been a long day. At least I can get a nap on the train. I'll miss you two! I'll send you an owl tomorrow. I'll see you in a few weeks. And don't either of you go off having any adventures without me," I said.

They both grinned and hugged me. "I don't think you'll have to worry about that. We never plan the adventures. You're always the one dragging us along for the ride," replied Kat.

"We're going to miss you too. It's only a few weeks until we come back. I'm sure we'll all be bored out of our minds and ready to get back here before we know it," Sara chimed in.

Professor McGonagall could be heard clearing her throat from near the doors. "If you're ready then, the carriage is here. You're things have already been taken to the train."

Giving them one last look, I turned and walked past Malfoy without a glance. Pulling my cloak protectively around me, I stalked toward the waiting carriage. It felt like every step was leading me further from my old life and deeper into the unknown.

I slid into the warm carriage and nestled into the soft velvet seat. Draco slid in gracefully, taking the seat next to me. Although unexpected, I was too tired to question this. Casually, he draped his arm over the back of the seat and I glanced away so he wouldn't see me roll my eyes. There wasn't even an audience around for this show. He could drop the possessive act already.

The ride to the train station was brief. Once on the train, I intended to settle into a compartment alone and sleep until we arrived in London. Draco, apparently, had different ideas.

I entered a compartment and made myself comfortable so I could get a nap, but before I could close my eyes, there he was standing over me. "There are a few things that you need to know about the manor before we get there," he stated.

"You'd better be glad I don't have anything at hand to throw at you. Even if you tell me something right now that could save my life later, I'll never remember it. I need to sleep. I'm exhausted and there's no way I want to deal with this now. All I'm asking is that you let me rest until we're an hour away from London. You can wake me up to impart these pearls of wisdom then," I snapped.

He nodded curtly saying, "Fine," before turning to take a seat. At this, I realized that he was planning on staying. Could I get no peace?!

"You don't have to stay and babysit me, you know. It's not like I'm going to jump out of the damned train or anything. I'd like to just enjoy the peaceful oblivion of sleep. Can't you go read a book or something in another compartment?" I fumed.

He sat unruffled by my outburst. "I don't think you're going to jump out of the bloody train. I just see no reason why I shouldn't sit here. I'm perfectly comfortable, and you sound a bit like a lunatic. I'll wake you when we're an hour away so I can teach you the important things," he calmly replied. Removing a book from inside his cloak, he propped one ankle across the opposite knee and settled in for the trip.

"I...you...what...but...," I sputtered in response.

"How very articulate of you," he remarked, without looking up.

With a hassled groan of irritation, I gave up and turned my back to him. Let him do whatever he wanted. Fighting about it now wasn't going to gain me any ground, so I ignored him and was finally able to get some much deserved rest. Although I had wanted 'blissful oblivion', that wasn't exactly what I got.


	20. Chapter 20

The dreams were hazy and a bit confusing, but Kat and Sara were there, as were Draco, Blake, and my parents. Draco held my hand, shouting something insistently. Blake laughed with a wild eyed look that made him appear quite frightening. Kat was dancing with _my_ cat, Bast, and muttering a charm to make tapioca pudding. Sara jumped up and down excitedly as she told me that Blaise was joining her on the moon for Christmas dinner. Meanwhile, my mum and dad sat chained to thrones inside a snow globe.

I was awoken by a hand on my shoulder, shaking me insistently back to reality. Mumbling blearily, I opened my eyes to find Draco leaning over me with a puzzled expression.

"I was talking in my sleep," I mused aloud.

"More like yelling," he replied. "It's just over an hour until we reach London anyway."

I sat up stretching. Swinging my legs off the seat, I turned to face him. "Alright, so what are these essential facts that you need to impart before we get off the train?" I queried.

"Well, for starters, when we get to the platform, we will be Disapparating back to the manor; however, you cannot Apparate onto the grounds. There are charms similar to the ones at Hogwarts that prevent anyone who isn't a Malfoy from entering that way. We'll be returning just outside the gates and taking a carriage the rest of the way. I'm not certain which rooms my mother has chosen for you to stay in, so I'll have to show you how to get to them when we arrive. When you're moving about, don't stray from the routes that I teach you. Some doors are locked and they're meant to stay that way. Dinner is always a rather formal affair. Since my father isn't there, there probably won't be too many unexpected visitors, but should there be any, you would probably be wise to return to your rooms immediately. Also, if my mother thinks that you're willing, you'll have much more freedom than if she thinks you need to be coerced. She is relentless, one thing we actually share in common," he replied.

"So I can't Apparate or Disapparate within the grounds, there are dangerous, locked rooms that I should never enter, there's the possibility of deadly visitors that I'll need to hide from, and your mother will lock me away as a prisoner if she thinks that I'm a flight risk," I summed up with mild disbelief.

"When you put it that way it sounds more like a trip to Azkaban, but I suppose that's an accurate summary. Don't forget to dress for dinner, otherwise, you might find that prisoner comment more truthful than you'd hoped. Mum's a bit strict with dinner rules," he retorted.

What did I expect, a welcome banner and to spend the week decorating and wrapping presents?

With resignation, I asked, "When are we going to look for those documents? I'm guessing you have some idea of where they're hidden?"

Heaving a sigh and running a hand through his hair, he answered, "Not exactly. I've tried to think of all the possible places that she would have put them, and aside from the family vault at Gringotts, there are a hundred possibilities at the manor. I've narrowed it down to a few places to start with, however."

"That sounds promising," I sneered.

"Unless you have any better ideas, I suggest you get on board with this one. We're either going to look for the contracts, or we're going to accept this as inevitable. It's not like she's going to hand them over on request," he snapped.

I realized that fighting wasn't going to solve any of our problems, but it felt so good to let out some of the seething anger that had been torturing me. "Oh no, the only thing that's been handed over to anyone has been me! If you're not going to do more than just look around for something suspicious in a house bursting with dark magic, then I might as well start picking out a bloody wedding dress! It's not as if you're really losing anything in this deal. You'll be getting off the Ministry radar, and have a captive audience for your ego to boot. I'm the only one that's had their freedom stripped like a common house elf!" I shouted.

He sat in momentary silence, staring at me as if I'd grown a second head before his very eyes. Finally, he replied, "You have no idea what it means to really have your freedom taken away from you. When you've done unspeakable things against your will that haunt you and give you nightmares, then we can talk about loss of freedom. If you want out of this, then you need to, for once, follow my lead. If you'd rather spend our time fighting, well then, we'll have our whole lives to keep it up."

As much as I hated to admit it, he was right about that. I had to keep my cool. He wasn't the one at which I should be directing all of my angst. My parents were due to arrive on Christmas Eve to 'celebrate' the holidays with us. I'd better reserve the screaming match for them.

Before I could say anything else, the train came to a halt at its destination. The journey was over long before I was ready to face the music. Draco stood and opened the compartment door. Glancing over his shoulder, he stated, "It's time for you to meet my mother."

I swallowed the anxiety of the moment as I stepped out of the compartment. There was no running now. I followed him onto the platform and stood at his side as she approached. Although I wanted to step behind him and delay the moment as long as possible, I refused to let her think of me as weak or vulnerable.

"Kimberly, good to have you joining us," she remarked formally. Turning to Draco, she beamed, "My dear Draco, I'm so pleased to have you home! Are you alright? Let me have a look at you," she insisted, grabbing his arm and turning him from side to side, apparently checking him for missing or mutilated limbs. "To think that dreadful school put you in such danger! I have half a mind not to let you go back at all."

Exasperatedly, he grasped her wrists, stopping her examination of him, "Mother, I'm fine. We're both completely unscathed. I'm going back to finish the year. It'll just seem suspicious if I don't. You don't have to worry about that at the moment anyway. I'm going to be home for an entire month."

I stood to the side, watching their interactions. She hugged him, and gave him a teary eyed nod of agreement. Having calmed her down, he then insisted, "Let's get back to the manor then. I'll take Kim. There's a carriage waiting for us, I assume?"

"Yes, of course. It's down by the gate. She's going to be staying in the west wing. The rooms have already been prepared. I'll be waiting for the two of you to join me for dinner," she responded.

Of course she wouldn't have to take the carriage. She was a Malfoy, so she would be Apparating directly back to the manor. Just as she turned and disappeared with a tiny 'pop', I looked at Draco.

"You don't have to go with me. I can take the carriage by myself. I'd rather fancy going back to sleep over dinner anyway," I said.

He scoffed, "You're not getting out of dinner; she's expecting both of us. Furthermore, I need to be there to show you how to get to your rooms." He held out his arm as though he were escorting me to a ball. Looping my arm through his, I held on tightly, bracing myself for the momentary crushing pressure of Disapparating.

In an instant, it was over and we reached our destination to find an impressive, solid black stallion, champing at the bit of the carriage to which he was harnessed. Malfoy stepped forward and opened the door then stood aside for me to enter. His formal manners startled me somewhat. I'd never really seen this aspect of him.


	21. Chapter 21

The ride to the manor was longer than I had expected. The grounds were unquestionably expansive and impressive. With nothing to be heard but the quiet sound of the stallion's hooves, my mind began to wander.

_What were Blake, Kat, and Sara doing? How was I going to tell them the truth if I couldn't change things? What would Blake say? He was someone that I could imagine spending all my time with, and who knew, maybe one day I would even want to get married. This was certainly not what I had pictured when I thought of my future. I wasn't sure he was the monster I had always thought he was, but Draco wasn't really the kind of guy that cared about anyone other than himself. Although, I had seen things about him lately that normally, I never would have noticed. Oh, I could hear the disdainful comments that Kat would have to say if she had only heard that. _

Shaking off my circular thoughts and looking out the window, I could see the immense façade of the manor looming into view. It was one thing to know that this is one of the largest wizarding homes in Britain, but it was quite another to see it up close. Dark stone walls rose up in front of us. Immaculate grounds surrounded the imposing structure.

The carriage rolled to a stop in front of the large ebony doors. As we walked up the marble steps, I took a deep, calming breath. When Draco's foot landed on the top step, the door swung open as if it the manor recognized him and welcomed him home.

I followed him inside, hearing the door close behind me with a soft click of finality. Passing the archways on either side of the entryway, he made straight for the grand staircase that swept down from both sides of the second floor landing, converging midway into one wide, elegant set of steps.

I paused only briefly before following after him. At the top of the stairs, we turned down the corridor to the left. It was well lit and lined with portraits of Malfoy family ancestors. Several of them were huddled together in one frame, whispering and muttering as we passed. After passing a portrait of a sly looking woman in blood red robes, he turned right.

This passage was lined with tapestries depicting violent battle scenes. We walked by five closed doors before taking a left through an open doorway. Here the corridor split into three separate directions. The middle one was the only way that was well lit. Thankfully, this was the one he led me down. There were several doors down the hall, but he stopped by the third one on the right, and turned to face me.

"Through here are you rooms. You'll find a sitting room along with a bedroom and a private bath. If you need anything, the house elves will take care of it. Otherwise, my rooms are at the end of the hall. You'll find that all of your things have already been brought up and put away. I'll be back to escort you to dinner in half an hour," and without further comment he turned and headed down the corridor.

The first thing that I noticed when I walked in was the stunning view. Across the room, there were windows that made up two thirds of the wall and spanned nearly floor to ceiling. Heavy brocade drapes had been pulled back to reveal the sweeping view of the grounds backlit by a fiery sunset. The room was bathed in the warm golden light.

Whatever I had expected, this was most assuredly not on the list of possibilities. Tearing my gaze away from the view, I inspected the rest of my accommodations. The fire in the large fireplace was keeping the sitting room cozy and warm. The furniture was all in shades of deep charcoal gray and emerald green. The small tables were black and matched the bookshelf in the corner. Through an open set of double doors to my left was the bedroom. A large bed was centered against the far wall, flanked on either side by matching nightstands. Crossing the room to the large wardrobe, I found that all of my clothes had indeed been put away. On the vanity, I found my hair brush and makeup. The en suite bathroom contained an oversized bathtub complete with several spouts that reminded me of the prefects' bathroom.

Having looked around properly, I realized that I only had about fifteen minutes to get dressed for dinner. I went back to the wardrobe and selected a dress. After changing quickly, I sat down in front of the vanity and charmed away the dark circles from beneath my eyes before applying a light layer of makeup and brushing through my hair. Quickly, I pulled it up into a neat twist and secured it with a clip. I inspected the final result in the mirror and decided that it would have to do on short notice.

Just as I finished slipping into my shoes, I heard a knock on the door. Draco stood waiting for me on the other side. He looked very polished in his dark slacks and dinner jacket. Giving me a half smile he said, "You look nice." Offering his arm, he added, "Shall we?"

We walked in silence as I peered around, taking in my new surroundings. Back at the top of the grand staircase, I noticed that though our way had been well lit, the opposite corridor was not. Only a dim flicker of light could be seen and there was a definite chill emanating from that direction.

At the bottom of the stairs we ventured through the archway to the left. Passing one entryway, I glimpsed a large formal ballroom. The next doorway led us into the dining room. A chandelier hung over the long table. At the far end, Narcissa sat alone waiting on us. She looked up and smiled at Draco. He pulled out the chair across from his mother and I took my seat. Taking what had surely once been his father's place at the head of the table, he immediately called for one of the house elves.

Nearly tripping over herself to get to his side quickly, she stammered, "Y-yes Master Malfoy, wh-wh-what can Poppy do for you, sir?"

"We are ready for dinner, and bring wine for us," he commanded.

"Oh yes, Master. Right away!" she squeaked, bobbing her head, her ears flapping with the motion. She snapped her fingers and everything appeared on the table. The smell of the roast lamb permeated the air; the requested wine present in our glasses.

"So, mother, everything has been quiet here lately?" asked Draco as he began cutting into the lamb.

"Nott was foolish enough to come here a fortnight ago. After a chat and special cup of tea, he realized the danger that he had put us in and left. I'm sure he won't be back. He'll let the others know not to communicate through direct contact," she answered.

_A special cup of tea? That did not sound good for his health. I bet he doesn't come back, even if he found an antidote in time, he won't chance coming here again. _

Finding that I wasn't hungry, I merely nibbled at bits of my food. It was all very good, but I couldn't force anything past the knot of apprehension that had taken up residence in my stomach. Throughout the meal, Narcissa only spoke directly to me a few times. I answered her quickly before returning to silence.

Finally, the meal was over and we were excused. I could feel her stare as we left the room. She was trying to figure out how she could control me.

"I don't suppose there's anything that I'm obligated to attend in the morning?" I queried.

He glanced at me before replying, "No. When you wake up, have a house elf bring you to me and we'll start looking for those contracts."

Stopping at my door, I said, "Okay. I'm sure it will be late when I wake up. I feel like I haven't slept in days."

Shutting the door softly behind me, I leaned back against it heaving a tired sigh. This had been the longest week of my life. I pushed away from the door and trudged into the bathroom, shedding clothing as I went. Then, while the water ran, filling the bath, I took my hair down and began brushing it.

_The door closed with a muffled click and she was gone. Despite the fact that I know she must be just as tired as I am, she looked beautiful. I should have asked if she liked her rooms. The view from the sitting room was one of the best in the manor. I had owled mother before we left Hogwarts to ensure that this was where Kim would be staying. Standing there staring at the door, I shook my head and scoffed at myself. She's doing her damndest to get away from me, and I'm making sure she's as close as possible. Knowing how ridiculous all of this had become, I turned and retreated to my own room, lost in my own very confused thoughts._

After soaking in the soothing, hot water, I pulled on my favorite worn shirt to sleep in and climbed into the soft bed. One of the house elves had a lovely warm fire in the bedroom fireplace and within moments I had drifted into a heavy, dreamless sleep.


	22. Chapter 22

When I finally woke up, it was nearly lunch time. Groggily, I rubbed my eyes and sat up in bed. It had been so long since I had been afforded the luxury of sleeping that long. I absentmindedly got dressed and brushed my teeth.

Having finished my usual routine, I wondered into the sitting room. A folded piece of parchment with my name on it was lying on the table.

_Poppy has been told to assist you with whatever you need. When you wake up, summon her and she will lead you to the library. _

_Draco_

"Poppy," I called.

With a _crack_, she appeared in front of me. "Y-yes Miss?" she stammered.

"I've been left a note stating that you're to help me find the library," I answered.

With wide eyes, she nodded emphatically. "Yes Miss. Poppy is supposed to do whatever Miss wants. M-master Malfoy says I'm to be at your disposal. If Miss Daniels is wanting to go to the library, Poppy will take her there now."

"Yes, I need to find Draco," I replied.

Without further comment Poppy was out the door and leading me through the maze of passages to another set of stairs. Apparently the library was on the third floor. Across from the stairs were the doors to the library. Inside, I found Draco sitting at a large oak desk. There stacks of aged books surrounding him as he pored over a particularly large tome.

He looked up as I stopped in front of the desk. The sunlight filtered through the window behind him, illuminating his hair and creating a halo. He looked relaxed and comfortable in charcoal colored trousers and dark blue sweater.

"Doing a bit of light reading?" I smirked.

"Oh yes, I find the tedious descriptions of the original layout and building of Malfoy Manor very thrilling," he retorted.

"Looking for something in particular?" I asked.

"As a matter of fact, I'm looking for any hint of additional secret passages and hidden spaces. I know there was one near the mantle over that fireplace, but I was never told how to access it. I saw my father removing something from it several years ago," he replied.

"Well, are there any others here that we need to be looking at? Maybe I can look for something while you research the secrets of the manor," I said.

"Well, there are several false books with potions and documents hidden within, but I've found most of those already. I didn't really expect her to leave them somewhere that simple. It would be too easy for me to find them. I suppose we can go to the drawing room and see if she's put them in there. I need a break from reading this anyway," he remarked.

We left the library and went down the entrance hall. This time we went through the opening to the right. This corridor was lined with several doors. The first of which was open to reveal a well decorated, brightly lit sitting room. We passed by and entered the fourth door which led into the great room. There was only one other door in the room which led to the drawing room. A grand piano stood to one side along with several smaller instruments. Between the sofa and chairs there was a large oriental rug. Draco flicked his wand in the direction of the rug and silently that section of the floor lifted to reveal a set of stone steps.

He turned to look at me with a grave expression and said, "While we're down there, don't touch anything unless I say. This is where father kept many Dark Artifacts, and some of them remain. Mother could have hidden the contracts here. She doesn't know that he taught me how to open this before his arrest."

"I won't touch anything," I assured him.

As we descended the steps, torches flared to life in the hidden room. Glass cases and shelves lined the walls. Some things had tiny labels attached, and others were needed no such warnings. They were clearly meant to kill.

I stood with my hands folded, waiting. Draco walked past the shelves, wand in hand, muttering spells to reveal hidden objects. Nothing happened.

"Okay, there's one other place in here, but it's going to take both of us to open it," he grimly reported.

There was a safe in the room. Only, there was nothing ordinary about this particular safe. He explained that once he turned the handle and opened it, he would be paralyzed, and it would only release him when I closed it.

"If there are any documents in it, summon them out, but don't touch them," he ordered. "Oh, and one more thing," he remarked off handedly, "be quick about it. It's going to clamp down on my wrist and begin to drain blood from me once I open it."

Before I could protest the wisdom of going near this contraption, he had grabbed and turned the handle, yanking the safe open. Immediately, something extended around his hand and clamped down on his wrist. He had already been immobilized and without further hesitation, I ran to the safe and peered in at its contents. However, there were no documents, only some very dark objects indeed.

Quickly, I slammed the door shut, freeing Draco from its hold. He retracted his hand swiftly, cradling his arm against his chest.

"You bloody nitwit!" I exclaimed. "What if I something had gone wrong? What if it hadn't let you go?"

"I've seen my father open it once before. I know what it does, and I knew it would release me. That's why I didn't give you a chance to argue," he calmly replied. "Now, if you're done throwing a wobbly, perhaps we can get out of here. I rather fancy sitting down for a bit."

Frustrated with his antics, I stomped back up the steps and into the drawing room. Following behind me, he resealed the hidden chamber.

Not wanting to linger there, we went back to the comfortable looking sitting room that we had passed earlier. Here, Draco dropped wearily onto the sofa. He looked none too worse for wear, only a bit tired.

I stood in front of him, arms crossed, glaring down at him. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. At least I will be. I just need to rest for a minute. Something to eat would be good as well," he commented.

Snatching his hand away from his chest and sitting down next to him, I examined his wrist. There were two angry red marks on either side of the soft flesh of his inner wrist. His skin was cool and a bit clammy.

"Poppy!" I called.

In an instant she appeared in front of me with a slightly nervous look about her. Without pause I ordered, "Bring food for Draco and water as well." Almost before I could finish my directive, she had disappeared and returned with a tray of food and water.

Instructing her to leave it on the table, I turned back to him. "Here, drink something," I insisted. As a testament to how poorly he felt, he didn't even argue with my bossiness. When he had drained the glass, I took it and handed him half of the sandwich that Poppy had delivered.

After he had eaten, he looked a little better, and I wasted no time interrogating him about his foolish stunt. "Why the hell would anyone need a bloody safe that tries to kill you when you open it?"

Sighing, he replied, "Well, it's more of an anti-theft precaution. You just have to make sure there is someone with you when you try to open it. Otherwise, it will drain you completely, release your body, and close on its own. Depending on the size of the person in question, it only takes about three to five minutes to complete the process. Good thing you were quick about looking around in there."

With a look of horror, I sputtered, "Three? Three to five minutes! You gormless nutter! If I had taken my time, you'd be dead and I'd be worse than dead when your mother found out. If we're going to look for these damned contracts together, then you're going to have to be honest with me and let me know what the bloody hell I'm in for before you do something that witless again. Honestly, how would your mother have even gotten them in the safe without help anyway?"

"Aw, Kim I didn't know you cared for my safety so much," Draco mocked. "And she would have just used one of the house elves," he added.

Standing up and turning on him I snapped, "Look, you might be a complete tosser most of the time, but that doesn't mean I want you dead. I've had enough of this for now. I'm going back upstairs. I'll see you for dinner."

I stormed out without a backward glance and went straight back to the quiet sanctuary of my room. Once there, though, I realized that I didn't really have anything to do, so I wandered over to the bookshelf and found something to read before curling up on the sofa.


	23. Chapter 23

Just as I was getting into the story, there was a knock on the door. Maybe if I just stayed quiet, he would think I was taking a nap and leave. Another knock followed by a frustrated sigh.

"I know you hear me, Kim. I just wanted to say that you were right. We're not going to accomplish anything unless you're properly prepared for what we're facing. If we have to look into something else like the safe, I'll tell you everything beforehand."

I opened the door and eyed him suspiciously. "I'm sorry, can you repeat that?"

"What? I'll tell you everything beforehand?" he asked, looking puzzled.

"No, that bit about me being right," I smirked.

He rolled his eyes. "Yes, that would be the only part in which you were interested. And no, I will not repeat that. You should be impressed that I managed to say it once."

"I suppose I am a little shocked that you actually managed to get the words out without choking on them. Apology accepted," I replied.

"Since we're not going to search for those contracts anymore today, I was thinking I could show you the rest of the grounds. There are, gardens, greenhouses, and even a labyrinth. We can start wherever you'd like," he offered.

Raising a suspicious eyebrow, I asked, "Anywhere I like?" A labyrinth sounded like fun.

"Yes. You can choose," he confirmed.

"Well, in that case, let me get my cloak. I want to see this labyrinth," I smiled before dashing to the bedroom. Grabbing my cloak and scarf, I returned to find him leaning casually against the doorway.

"I'm ready when you are. It'll be nice to go outside for a bit," I commented.

As we walked across the grounds, I snuck glances at Draco. He looked fine. At least there seemed to be no lasting effects from this morning's encounter with the safe. Satisfied that everything seemed alright, I took the opportunity to inspect our surroundings.

The lawn was blanketed with a layer of fresh snow. The air was crisp, cold and exhilarating. The walls of the labyrinth were high, and I could feel the excitement at the challenge of navigating it building.

_I stole a glance at her and smiled inwardly at the excited gleam in her eyes. Her cheeks were flushed with the cold and she looked happier than I had seen her in some time. This thought darkened my mood considerably. It was my fault that she had been so miserable all the time. If not for me, then she would be carefree and with her own family. _

We reached the entrance and I turned to find Draco staring at me. His expression was bland and guarded, as always, giving nothing of his thoughts away. It was absolutely maddening to always have to guess at what he was thinking.

"It will take us a little while to walk through the whole thing. There are, of course a few shortcuts, but I'm guessing you'd like to see it in its entirety," he remarked.

"You're right. There's no fun in taking the shortcuts. There's no Minotaur lurking in here, is there?" I inquired.

He shook his head. "There's nothing dangerous in here anymore. Originally, this was created by an ancestor for a witch that he wished to marry. She refused him and he turned her love of puzzles and mazes and such things against her. He made it so that she could wander in here forever and never find her way out. Eventually, she accepted his proposal in exchange for her freedom from its walls. Later, there were several traps and dangerous creatures put here to keep prisoners busy, but it hasn't been used for that in generations. Since then, it has been turned into part of the gardens. There are many rare and exotic plants within that don't typically grow in Britain; all of which are ingredients in some of the harder to find potions." he explained as we walked.

"You mean illegal," I interjected.

He shrugged his shoulders noncommittally, but stopped, turning to face me. "You already know that my family has embraced the dark arts for generations. There's no use in all of the condescending remarks. It's not going to change anything, and I'm not going to beg for forgiveness because you find it distasteful."

As he turned to continue walking, I grabbed his arm stopping him. He stood half turned, looking at me guardedly over his shoulder. "You're right. I shouldn't be rude about it. You're not the one that locked someone away in here, and you didn't create the traps that were used. Some things we can't control and who our families are is one of them. It's not fair for me to hold you accountable for their transgressions. I was actually enjoying myself, and I'd really like to go back to that," I apologized.

He nodded somewhat curtly, but I could see his posture relax a bit. Perhaps he would be different if I stopped goading him into reacting a certain way. I had boxed him into the behavior pattern of his ancestors and then berated him for reacting the way I had forced, and even assumed, he would react. I felt ashamed and sorry for what I had done and resolved to give him a chance to be himself, not just the Malfoy heir that I expected.

Letting go of his arm, I fell in step beside him as we continued through the maze of passages. No snow covered the ground inside these walls, and the air felt warmer as we traveled further in. As we walked, he identified some of the rarer plants for me. Several others were common and I recognized larkspur, yellow jasmine, and digitalis among them. All three of these were beautiful, but definitely deadly.

Pointing to a random plant behind him, I asked, "What about that one?"

Draco turned to see what I was pointing at and I took the opportunity to dart around the corner, deeper into the labyrinth. He turned back to answer and found himself alone.

"Oh, that one is…" he trailed off. "Kim? Kim!" he called.

Hearing him, I laughed and called back, "Catch me if you can!"

I didn't fear getting lost. Even if I had to stop and wait for him, he would find me eventually. I kept walking the general direction that he had been taking me in and carefully avoided touching any of the lethal flora.

_I can't believe I fell for that. I knew there was no way that she didn't know that was wolfsbane. Damn it, she'd better have a bloody good sense of direction. Suppose I'd better get a move on or I'll never catch up to her. _

I moved quickly to stay ahead of him, although there was no way he could be sure of what direction I had even gone in, I sensed that he would have no trouble tracking me down. After several minutes of glancing over my shoulder, I noticed that it felt warmer, almost like late spring. I loosened my scarf and pulled my gloves off. The greenery surrounding me had become almost tropical in appearance. A few turns later, I found myself in what was undoubtedly the center of the labyrinth. Brightly colored flowers blossomed all around me and I could hear the musical sounds of running water as it cascaded over stone. In the center, there was a large tree with what appeared to be small green apples hanging from it. Although I was feeling a bit hungry, it just didn't seem wise to eat anything I found in here. I decided to wait here for Draco and made my way over to a large cushioned bench that was near the tree, but not under it. Taking the opportunity to enjoy the unexpected warmth, I made myself comfortable, lying down for a bit.

While I was waiting I dozed off, still listening to the sounds of the garden around me, but not quite fully awake. Then, suddenly, Draco was shaking there; shaking me roughly and calling my name. My eyes flew open and I pushed against his shoulders to stop him.

"What on earth is wrong with you?! You honestly can't be this angry that I left you!" I exclaimed.

"You're alright? You didn't eat any of those apples?" he demanded.

Giving him a confused look, I calmly replied, "No. I didn't touch them. I thought it best not to handle anything in here all things considered."

Sighing, he sank down onto the bench next to me. "I wasn't mad that you left at all. I looked around on the way here, making sure that you had gone the right way, but I forgot about the Manchineel tree. Then I saw you lying here, and for a moment I thought you were dead. The entire tree is lethal, but the fruit is called the 'Death Apple'," he explained.

"Oh," I mumbled weakly. "I didn't mean to worry you. I just got comfortable while I was waiting on you to catch up and drifted off a bit."

Still holding my right hand in his, he wrapped his left arm around me and pulled me against his shoulder. We sat like this for a while. It was almost easy to forget everything that was going on and just enjoy the quiet moment.

Finally, he stood, pulling me up along with him. "We should get back to the manor. I'll show you the rest of the grounds another day," he promised.

"Alright," I agreed. "I need to get dressed for dinner anyway." As I stepped past him, he grabbed my hand. I paused and looked back at him questioningly.

"Precautionary measure," he insisted. "I don't want you disappearing and getting into any trouble."

Smiling, I shook my head. "I've no intention of going anywhere. I wouldn't want to have my head shaken off my shoulders again when you find me," I assured him.

"Still," he muttered. And refusing to let go, he led me back out of the labyrinth. This time we took all of the shortcuts and were standing in the snow in no time. It seemed colder now than before after the warmth of the maze's central garden. Despite the chill, neither of us seemed in any hurry to get back inside.


End file.
